Ahmet Altan's recent novel

Ahmet Altan, a journalist and novelist arrested in 2014 under Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was sentenced to life in prison but released in April 2021 after serving nearly five years. His novel Madame Hayat, published in 2021, won the prestigious Femina foreign prize.

Family history of imprisonment

Ahmet Altan's brother, Mehmet, was also imprisoned during the same period. Their father, Çetin Altan, was a writer and socialist member of parliament who had previously been imprisoned in the 1970s. This family history of political persecution adds depth to Ahmet Altan's work.

Publication of This Year

At 76 years old, Ahmet Altan has completed his Ottoman Quartet with This Year, a novel published in Turkey in November 2025. The book addresses the Armenian genocide through multiple perspectives, drawing comparisons to the approach used by Turkish writer Elif Shafak in The Bastard of Istanbul.

Plot of This Year

Set in 1915, This Year follows Ragîp, an Ottoman officer, who falls in love with Eufronia, an Armenian nurse. Their budding relationship is marked by a dance that is constantly postponed as war breaks out. Ragîp is sent to fight at the Dardanelles, while Eufronia faces increasing danger in the city.

Themes of genocide and injustice

The novel portrays the Armenian genocide through Eufronia's journey, highlighting the suffering of displaced people and the systemic violence against non-Muslims. It explores how a decimated population could claim their property and the denial of innocence, even among children.

Publication details

This Year is published by Actes Sud and translated from Turkish by Julien Lapeyre de Cabanes. The book has a print run of 10,000 copies, priced at 23 €, and contains 366 pages. Its ISBN is 9782330226398.