Orhan Pamuk to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Pamuk fans. Speculation had been rife that Nobel Prize in Literature 2006 is about to announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 73, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 21/05/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being an author isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being an author just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouOrhan

For a little while on Wednesday evening, #ThankYouOrhan was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Orhan Pamuk was unlike any other author we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouOrhan”
— @universalObserver, 20 May 2026

“Pamuk wasn't retired?”
— @borisB0, 20 May 2026

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