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Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk has been awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.

The Nobel Foundation of Stockhold in Sweden made the annoucement yesterday. Pamuk, who has been prosecuted by the Turkish government for commenting on the genocide of Armenians during World War I, is noted for his vivid portrayals of modern life in Turkey. His recent book, Istanbul: Memories and the City, has received much critical acclaim. An official statement yesterday noted that, "in the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city, [Pamuk] has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures.”

To learn more about Pamuk’s portrait of Istanbul, as well as travel writing by other Nobel winners, be sure to take a look at the Armchair Travel Section.