The writer's secret is not inspiration - for it is never clear where it comes from - it is his stubbornness, his patience.

'The Museum of Innocence' is not about politics; it's a love story, but I think it's political in the sense that it wants to capture how a man suppresses a woman.

Life is short, and we should respect every moment of it.

I consider myself Istanbul's storyteller. My subject matter is my town. I consider it my job to explore the hidden patterns of my city's clandestine corners, its shady, mysterious places, the things I love.

The habit of collecting, of attachment to things, is an essential human trait. But Western civilization put collecting on a pedestal by inventing museums. Museums are about representing power. It could be the king's power or, later, people's power.

Nothing can be as astounding as life. Except for writing. Yes, of course, except for writing, the sole consolation.