Her second novel in English, The Bastard of Istanbul, was long-listed for the Orange Prize. It addresses the Armenian genocide, which is denied by the Turkish government. Shafak was prosecuted in July 2006 on charges of "insulting Turkishness" (Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code) for discussing the genocide in the novel.
Her second English-language novel, The Bastard of Istanbul, was nominated for the Orange Prize. It tackles the Armenian genocide, which is denied by the Turkish government. In July 2006, Shafak was prosecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code for discussing this topic in her book.