Ali and Ramazan

Based on a true story, Ali and Ramazan tells the story of two doomed adolescents, who meet in an orphanage and fall in love with each other. Perihan Magden, a leading name in contemporary Turkish literature, has always sought to tell her stories in a straightforward style, and this novel is a fine example of her distinctive prose. Magden vividly conveys the alienation and dreariness of life on the edge, conveying painful truths without resorting to melodrama. Her skilful writing portrays the complex world of Ali and Ramazan with an almost cinematic quality.