But your characters certainly have a passion for big ideas.

You’re right that the people in my novel are groaning under the weight of ideas. Overburdening oneself with strong ideas is a very Turkish passion. This nation has been rehearsing the transition from one civilisation to another for 200 years, and I can safely say that it is a tortuous experience. “Snow” deals with the difficulties of living with these big, abstract ideas, of surviving them and finding happiness. You know, I’ve had enough of big ideas. I’ve been