Valor

Winner of the 2021 Global Humanities Translation Prize Among Murathan Mungans signature works, Cenk Hikyeleri (Valor: Stories) has long been considered a milestone of twentieth-century Turkish literature. The six short stories in the collection reflect the authors multiethnic background (which includes Kurdish, Arab, and Turkish heritage) and represent his lush poetics, literary breadth, and sociopolitical commitments. Valor reimagines Shahmaran, a mythical halfhuman, halfsnake figure that commonly appears in the folklore of Turkeys southeastern provinces. Legend interweaves with the contemporary realities of ethnicity, religious dogma, gender, and sexuality. Uncovering hidden narratives within a rich and complicated culture, Mungans stories depict self-realization and sexual awakening as they showcase one of Turkeys most popular literary voices.