Writer Pamuk lands Impac prize

Pamuk's writing was described as "elegant and multi-faceted"

Turkish author Orhan Pamuk has won one of the world's richest book prizes, The International Impac Dublin Literary Award 2003.

Pamuk's novel My Name Is Red landed the 100,000 euros (£71,000) prize - the biggest for a single work of fiction in English.

His complex murder mystery set during the reign of the Ottaman Sultan, Murat III, was chosen from a shortlist of eight by an international panel of judges.

Nominations are made by more than 150 libraries in 40 countries, with Dublin City Public Libraries administering the prize.

Pamuk's work was "timeless and timely", said the judges

Describing Pamuk's book as "a work of intense beauty", the judges praised it as being "intelligent, witty and stylish".

"It is a rare tour de force of literary imagination and philosophical speculation," said a spokesman for the judges.

"Pamuk's writing is as elegant and multi-faceted as the story he narrates."

The judging panel included writers Morgan Llywelyn, Deirdre Madden and Amritjit Singh.

Pamuk was nominated by libraries in Bonn, Geneva and Hartford in the US.

He beat competition from writers such as Ireland's John McGahern, Jonathan Franzen and Ann Patchett from the US and Per Olov Enquist of Sweden.

Istanbul-based Pamuk, the author of six novels, has received a number of Turkish and international literary prizes.

His work has been translated into more than 20 languages.

My Name Is Red was translated from the Turkish by Erdag Goknar, who is rewarded with 25,000 euros of the total prize money.

Pamuk will receive his prize from the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Dermot Lacey, at Dublin City Hall on 14 June.