Ova Ceren, the software developer and creator of the popular Instagram and TikTok accounts @excusemyreading on her debut novel, life in the English university town of Cambridge and how she wants to continue drawing from her Turkish heritage in upcoming stories
Options: Congratulations on your debut novel, The Book of Heartbreak. Tell us more about it.
Ova Ceren: It is the story of Sare Silverbirch, a girl cursed to die of heartbreaks. At the start of the novel, she loses her mother and must move to Istanbul to live with her estranged grandfather. In Istanbul, a new world awaits — one that reveals her mother’s past to be very different from what Sare imagined. As she uncovers long-buried secrets, she begins to investigate the origins of her curse. At its heart, the novel is tied to a myth from the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine), connected to a real-life tower in Istanbul.
You mentioned it was greatly inspired by your grandmother, and how you wanted to imagine an afterlife that wasn’t scary, but silly.
My grandmother was a devout Muslim and a deeply kind woman, but she was also very afraid of death. In her final days, she was often upset, dwelling on things she’d done in the past. That stayed with me. It made me wonder: what if the afterlife isn’t all doom and gloom? What if it’s something gentler, something even a little silly? I wanted to write something hopeful. Something that might comfort people like my grandmother, and anyone else who carries fear around death. I created a funny and very bureaucratic afterlife that would be very familiar to anyone who works for a corporation.
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Why do you think so many cultures and religions still focus on the afterlife, even though no one really knows what happens?
This is something I’ve thought about a lot, especially since moving from Türkiye to the UK. Every religion or sect seems to have firm ideas about who gets into heaven or hell … but I like to believe it’s ultimately the Creator who decides. There are so many of us, born into so many different lives. One rule wouldn’t fit all. There must be an amazing filing system on the other side.
You’ve mentioned doubts regarding your book like ‘Will people read it?’ or ‘Who will care?’ What would you say to someone who wants to start something new but is afraid?
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Fear and doubt are part of the process. They’ll come along for the ride — but don’t let them drive. Even if your work doesn’t get published, every word you write makes you a better writer. Nothing is wasted.
Your garden library is quite the internet sensation. Tell us about it.
My garden library is my safe haven. But the real reason I built it? My husband! He’s asthmatic and allergic to just about everything, and the piles of books inside the house were becoming a dust problem. So, when we were house-hunting, a garden shed or office became essential. As soon as I saw this house, I knew that shed was my dream. It’s now filled with books, trinkets and peace (despite the spiders!).
Tell us about Ízmir, where you were born, and the Ottoman and Byzantine influences in your book.
İzmir is on Türkiye’s west coast and is often called the secular capital of the country. My parents are originally from the southeast, but my mother’s family moved to İzmir when she was a child, and I was born there. I first visited Istanbul at 16 and was completely fascinated by how different it was. The presence of the Ottoman Empire and remnants of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) era were everywhere. These once-great empires are gone, but their stories remain — and I knew I had to tell some of them.
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What are you reading right now?
I’m reading Tom Weaver’s techno-thriller Artificial Wisdom. The premise really drew me in — a human presidential candidate competing against an AI candidate. I had to check it out! It’s just as good as it sounds.
Do you play music in your library?
I don’t play any instruments, but I do listen to a lot of Turkish music, especially TV show soundtracks. They’re often rich in emotion and largely instrumental, so they make great background music while I’m writing.
What are the books you always reread?
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood and The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. They both have layers that reveal themselves more with each reading.
You now call Cambridge, England, home. Tell us some of your favourite spots or must-do activities there.
I absolutely love the River Cam. If you’re visiting, you must go punting — it’s the best way to see the colleges. I also adore G David’s bookshop and Little St Mary’s Lane. And for coffee, you can’t beat Locker Café.
Describe your idea of a perfect Cambridge weekend.
I’d start at Market Square with a Colombian coffee and a fresh croissant from Aromi, the Sicilian café. Then I’d stroll down Trinity Street to visit Heffers Bookshop. After that, I’d head to The Fitzwilliam Museum, then have lunch at Hot Numbers. In the afternoon, I’d hire a bike and cycle out to Grantchester. Weather permitting, that would be just perfect.
— As told to Diana Khoo
