The Fugitive of Gezi Park (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781838388744)

Ada is haunted by her yearning for Istanbul and by the scars of a nightlong interrogation following her arrest at the Gezi Park protests. Now in London temping at an art fair, she meets Lucian, an eccentric, charming but burnt-out gallerist. Since his divorce, Lucian has been relying on drugs and alcohol to mend his broken heart. Ada, meanwhile, dreads the verdict of her forthcoming trial in Istanbul. Day-by-day, as their passion deepens, they reassess their past choices, and their futures rapidly take shape.

Sensual, perceptive and at times bitingly funny, The Fugitive of Gezi Park explores the nature of trauma and struggle, asking what it takes of us to start all over again.

In 2013, police brutality against a peaceful group protesting the destruction of Gezi Park - one of the few public green spaces in Istanbul - prompted an unprecedented wave of demonstrations which spread rapidly across Turkey, lasting several weeks. The Gezi Park Protests are a pivotal moment in the country's volatile recent history, and continue to carry huge sentimental value for the dissidents of the 'New Turkey.'

The book was published on the 10th anniversary of the start of the protests, and in the year of a pivotal election in Turkey.

Reviews

The Fugitive of Gezi Park is a gripping, sometimes comic and more often tragic portrayal of two complex, flawed characters and cities. Without ever mentioning Erdoğan's name, it offers a finely grained study of how Turkey's descent into dictatorship has torn through human lives. The TLS

A sensitive account of how our lives are shaped, on both individual and societal levels, by accident as much as willpower, and by how we deal with the consequent moments of trauma: fight, flight or, most often, neither. ArtReview

Beautifully captures the endless possibilities that the city offers its inhabitants - chance meetings, unlikely romances and an opportunity to rebirth yourself, over and over. nb. Magazine

In her second novel, Turkish-British writer Deniz Goran explores with humour and poise the difficulties of shaking off guilt. Monocle

A bitingly funny satire of the shallow art world, and a reflection on exile, trauma, displacement, desire - and the direction of Erdoğan's Turkey. SAGA Magazine

Set in the dreamscape of the contemporary art world and combining crisp, affectionate class satire with a cinematic storyline and exquisitely observed characters, The Fugitive of Gezi Park is an intense meditation on love, fealty, trauma, exile, politics, and art. An elegant and incisive novel from an incandescent talent. May-Lan Tan, author of Things to Make and Break

A young woman, bearing the aching wound of her country, realises the deep connection between the freedom she seeks for her homeland and that of her own body and soul. Through powerful language Deniz Goran brings together two cities, and two people oscillating on the pendulum between hope and despair, preparing them for a new life. Burhan Sönmez, award-winning author and President of PEN International

Fabulous. Mariella Frostrup