Defne Suman

About

Defne Suman is a Turkish novelist and essayist born in Istanbul and raised on Büyükada, an island near the city. She studied sociology at Boğaziçi University, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. After leaving academia, she travelled extensively, volunteered in Thailand and Laos, and studied yoga and Eastern philosophy before dedicating herself to writing. Suman’s fiction explores the hidden layers of Turkish and Ottoman history, focusing on family secrets, cultural identity, exile, and the experiences of marginalised communities. Her novels often examine how political upheaval shapes private lives and how memories are passed between generations. Her notable works include The Silence of Scheherazade, At the Breakfast Table, and The Last Apartment in Istanbul. Her books have been translated into more than 30 languages. She is currently based in Athens and maintains close ties to Istanbul.