It's not surprising that truly humanitarian manifestos originate frequently in minority circles or with people whose consciences are troubled by the problems of minorities.

I love Sufism as I love beautiful poetry, but it is not the answer. Sufism is like a mirage in the desert. It says to you, come and sit, relax and enjoy yourself for a while.

The heart is a place of secrets.

There are no heroes in most of my stories. I look at our society with a critical eye and find nothing extraordinary in the people I see.

It is simply not part of my culture to preserve notes. I have never heard of a writer preserving his early drafts.

Winning Nobel imposed on me a lifestyle to which I am not used and which I would not have preferred.

When you spend time with your friends, what do you talk about? Those things which made an impression on you that day, that week ... I write stories the same way. Events at home, in school, at work, in the street, these are the bases for a story. Some experiences leave such a deep impression that instead of talking about them at the club I work them into a novel.