German "Peace Prize" goes to Orhan Pamuk

The German Publishers and Booksellers Union has awarded its annual "Peace Prize" this year to Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk. In a statement made yesterday, the Union announced that the prize would be officially awarded in a ceremony following the Frankfurt International Book Fair in October 2005. The award, which had in the past been 15,000 Euro, has been raised this year to 25,000 Euro. Unparalled memoryThe Union noted that the prize was going to Pamuk for his efforts regarding  human and minority rights, as well as for taking on current events without fear, and for constantly dealing with Turkey's political problems. The Union praised Pamuk in its statement, saying "This writer's unparalleled memory, which stretches stubbornly back through Ottoman history, is equaled by his fearless tackling of modern dilemmas, as is seen in his efforts for human and minority rights." "White Castle," "My Name is Red," and "Snow" singled outThe Union specified Pamuk's novels "White Castle," "My Name is Red," and "Snow" as combining oriental storytelling tradition with the modern West, thus justifying the prestigious award. The German Publishers and Booksellers Union's Peace Prize has been in effect since 1950. In 1997, Turkish author Yasar Kemal received this prize, though the award created conflict at that time. At the ceremony awarding Kemal, German author Gunther Grass criticized the German government's Kurdish policy, an incident which received much media attention. Other noteable recepients of the prize have been Herman Hesse, Jurgen Habermas, and Susan Sontag.     Â