Asli Erdogan (who has no relation to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan) is a renowned novelist, columnist, and human rights activist. She was born in Istanbul in 1967. She studied computer engineering and physics, and wrote her dissertation at the European High Energy Physics Laboratory. She quit her graduate work in physics in Rio de Janeiro and devoted herself entirely to writing. She lived for two years in South America. Her first novel Kabuk Adam ("The Scab Man?) was published in 1994; her short story collection Mucizevi Mandarin ("The Miraculous Mandarin? was published in 1996. Her short story "The Wooden Birds? received the Deutsche Welle literary prize and was translated into nine other languages. Her second novel The City of Crimson Cloak (1998) appeared in English, French, and Norwegian; and was published by Actes Sud and Gyldendal's "Marg? series. Her non-fiction writings were collected in Bir Yolculuk Ne Zaman Biter ("When Does a Journey End??). She was included in the list of "The Writers of the Next 50 Years? by Lire magazine and her book of poetic prose Hayatin Sessizliginde ("In the Silence of Life?) was selected the book of the year by Dunya Publishing. Her two essay collections Bir Kez Daha ("Once Again?) and Bir Delinin Guncesi ("A Diary of a Madman?) were published in 2006. She has received numerous accolades in the international press and her works continue to appear in other world languages.