Aslı Perker
A journey from journalism to literature; a storyteller whose novels are translated into more than thirty languages and who places the healing power of literature and reading at her center.
Aslı Perker was born in İzmir in 1975. Because of her father's work, she completed her schooling in various cities across Anatolia. After graduating from Dokuz Eylül University with a degree in American Culture and Literature, she worked as a journalist and reporter for Aktüel magazine and the newspapers Radikal, Yeni Binyıl and Sabah. After moving to New York in 2001, she devoted herself to literature, and her first novel, The Scent of the Others (Başkalarının Kokusu), was published in 2005.
Her second novel, Executioner's Graveyard (Cellat Mezarlığı, 2009), was translated into eight languages, and Soufflé (Sufle, 2011) into thirty-three; Soufflé became a bestseller and was published in English by Telegram Books. Her stories have appeared in various anthologies, including a crime anthology published by Random House in Germany.
After returning to Istanbul in 2010, she wrote columns for newspapers including Milliyet and served as editor-in-chief of the publishing house Beyaz Baykuş. Her subsequent novels are Help Me (Bana Yardım Et, 2015), Vakit Hazan (2016, also published as Eylülde Dört Yıl), Flamingos are Pink (Flamingolar Pembedir, 2018), The First Day of a Breakup (Ayrılığın İlk Günü, 2021) and Kaybedilen Bütün Savaşlar (2025). In 2025 she also published İsyan Olmasaydı, a book of essays on the great revolts and resistances that shaped history.
Beyond her novels, Perker has written a series of books that bring philosophy into everyday life — on Epictetus (2019), Diogenes (2020), Shinto (2021) and Epicurus (2025) — as well as the children's books Kaçış Planı (2020), Annepot (2022, translated into 17 languages), Dönüş Planı (2025) and Tavşanlar Havuç Yemez (2025). She is also a prolific literary translator, bringing authors such as Jeanette Winterson, Jim Carrey, Alex Michaelides, Joe Dunthorne and Megan Hunter into Turkish.
Perker, who holds a master's degree in psychology, pursues her interest in the healing power of reading and literature through her bibliotherapy work, which she also shares with readers via a podcast. She continues to live and work between Istanbul, New York and Foça.
Roles & Teaching
Behind the scenes
One of the most established honours in Turkish theatre, the Yapı Kredi Afife (Jale) Theatre Awards keeps alive the name of Afife Jale, the first Turkish woman to take the stage, honouring leading figures of the performing arts each year. Aslı Perker serves as an active jury member of the award, sustaining her bond with theatre and the performing arts alongside literature.
Bibliotherapy Podcast
On the healing power of books and reading — hear which book is good for which feeling, in Aslı's own voice.
Creative Writing Teaching
As an invited instructor at the University of Iowa's International Writing Program (IWP) youth workshop Between the Lines — including a session bringing together young writers from Turkey and Armenia — she taught creative writing to students from many countries. In 2018 she was a tutor at the ARI Literature Foundation's Write in Armenia International Creative Writing Camp.
From Aslı's Desk
New books, events, talks and bibliotherapy reading recommendations — once a month, straight to your inbox. The warmest way to stay close to Aslı.