Surgical Ward 9

Peyami Safa was a novelist, journalist and critic. One of Turkey’s most prolific writers, Safa authored a dozen novels, as well as seventeen essay collections on the most pressing political, philosophical and linguistic subjects of his time. Despite never having attended school past the age of thirteen, Safa also wrote a number of textbooks for formal education and became a vocal participant in the New Republic’s cultural and linguistic debates of the 1930’s. His fiction, noted for its distinctive voice and psychological depth, has secured his place as a cornerstone of modern Turkish literature. Across generations, Safa’s intricately woven novels continue to offer both profound literary pleasure and a resonant sense of discovery to new readers.Ralph Hubbell is a translator of Turkish literature. His work has appeared in Words Without Borders, Asymptote, Cagibi and elsewhere. His translation of Oğuz Atay’s Waiting for the Fear appeared with NYRB in 2024. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

“One of the first and finest authors to explore the East-West question in fiction.”—Orhan Pamuk“A unique book about real pain and grief. When I finished reading it, I was stunned.”–Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar