Abbas Sayar

Poet and writer (b. 21 March 1923, Yozgat – d. 12 August 1999). After he graduated from Yozgat High School, he was educated at İstanbul University, Faculty of Literature, Department of Turkish Language and Literature but left his studies early. He worked as a primary school teacher in 1941 and as a typographer in İstanbul. Between 1952-56, he published the newspaper Bozlak in Yozgat.

His first poems appeared in his book titled “Gönül Sandal” (Heart Boat), published in 1947. He published his other works in various reviews. He won the 1971 Turkish Radio and Television Corporation Novel Achievement Award with his work Yılkı Atı, which was also adapted for the screen, the 1973 Turkish Language Association Novel Award with Çelo (Çelo) and the 1975 Madaralı Novel Award with Can Şenliği (Life Festival). He was given the Golden Plaque of Honor by the Turkish Authors Association. He was married to Ender Sayar (Atabek), who was a teacher of literature at Ayvalık High School, and they had a son named Ahmet Güner (1946), a professor of economics. He traveled through various European countries in 1976. He spoke French and Farsi. He was a member of the Writers Syndicate of Turkey, the PEN Club and the Turkish Authors Association.

WORKS:

POETRY: Gönül Sandalı (Heart Boat, 1946), Sereserpe (Outstretched, 1953), Gibi (Like, 1965), Şey (Thing, 1966), Neco' ya Mektuplar (Letters to Neco, 1990), Boşluğa Takılan Ses (Sound Suspended in Space, 1991).

SHORT STORY: Yorganını Sıkı Sar (Cuddle Your Quilt Tightly, 1977).

NOVEL: Yılkı Atı (Yılkı Horse, 1971), Çelo (Çelo, 1973), Can Şenliği (The Life Festival, 1975), Tarlabaşı Salkım Saçak (Fields Hanging Down in Rags, 1987), Dik Bayır (Vertical Ascent, 1977), Anılarda Yumak Yumak (Ball of Wool Memories, 1990).

ESSAY: Noktalar (Points, aphorisms, 1991), Eli Eli Yur El de Yüzü (One Hand Washes the Other, Both Wash the Face, 2003). 

REFERENCE: TDE Ansiklopedisi (c. 7, 1976-98), Atilla Özkırımlı / Türk Edebiyatı Ansiklopedisi (1982), Seyit Kemal Karaalioğlu / Resimli Türk Edebiyatçılar Sözlüğü (1982), Yurt Ansiklopedisi (c. X, 1984), Behçet Necatigil / Edebiyatımızda İsimler Sözlüğü (18. bas. 1999), Şükran Kurdakul / Şairler ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü (gen. 6. bas. 1999), TBE Ansiklopedisi (2001), İhsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - Türkiye Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) – Encyclopedia of Turkish Authors (2005) - Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) – Ünlü Edebiyatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 4, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013).