This past January, Melville House author Jakob Arjourni died after a fight with pancreatic cancer. Today would have been his 49th birthday.

He was born Jakob Bothe on October 8, 1964. He famously published his first novel, Happy Birthday, Turk!, at just 20. The book kick-started a writing career that grew to include not only a series of mystery novels featuring Turkish-German P.I. Kemal Kayankaya—the books that made him famous—but also highly regarded literary novels and plays. Just last week, Melville House released his final book: Brother Kemal, the fifth and final volume in the Kayankaya series.

Today, on Jakob’s birthday, Melville House is proud to announce the Arjouni Fund to Fight Pancreatic Cancer. We’ve partnered with Lustgarten Foundation, the world’s largest private foundation dedicated to pancreatic cancer research, which will administer the fund and see that 100% of the money raised in Jakob’s name will go directly to research. We’re asking Jakob’s fans and friends around the world to consider donating in his name.

Melville House publishers Dennis Johnson and Valerie Merians also announced that a portion of the proceeds from the sales of Jakob’s final novel will be donated to the fund.

If you don’t know Jakob’s work, a lovely survey can be found in the pages of the New York Times, which last week hailed Jakob as the German “master of crime fiction.” He was surely this, but he was also a loving father and husband—and a dedicated and generous collaborator, as Jakob’s publishers around the world would readily attest to.

Please consider giving in Jakob’s name. Those wishing to join the fight should go here.