Turkey`s `youngest novelist` dies in balcony fall: Reports
A Turkish teenager who won fame as a fantasy novelist has died in a mysterious fall from an Istanbul balcony which police are investigating as a possible suicide, reports said Thursday.
Ankara: A Turkish teenager who won fame as a fantasy novelist has died in a mysterious fall from an Istanbul balcony which police are investigating as a possible suicide, reports said Thursday.
Eren Demir, 16, earned renown at the age of 12 with his fantasy novel "Kristal Kilic" ("The Crystal Sword") and Turkish media dubbed him as the second youngest novelist anywhere in the world.
Demir was talking to one of his friends on the phone when he plunged 10 floors to his death on Tuesday night from his house in Atakoy, an upscale residential area on the European side of the city.
The young man died on the spot, Hurriyet newspaper reported.
Police -- who found Demir`s destroyed cell phone by his body -- were investigating the circumstances surrounding the death which they suspect could be suicide, it added.
Demir`s parents, both prominent Turkish psychiatrists, were not at home when their son died.
Demir was a 9th grade student at Uskudar American Academy, one of the most academically rigorous private high schools in Istanbul.
He was a fan of heavy metal, Japanese "manga" comics as well as fantasy and science fiction TV series and had aspired to be a computer scientist, according to a 2011 interview with Turkish media.
He also wrote several articles on child psychology for the non-academic Turkish journal "Psychiatry and Thought".
"The Crystal Sword" takes place in an imaginary country where elves and dwarves live happily together.
According to Turkish media, Demir was the second youngest person to write a full published novel after Switzerland-based Christopher Beale who penned a novel, "This and Last Season`s Excursions", when he was six.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.