Mustafa Ruhi Şirin

Poet, children’s literature writer (b. 2 January 1955, Uğurlu village / Of / Trabzon). He attended primary school in his village then in Maçka and in Ahlat. He graduated from secondary school in Of and from Ankara University, School of Economics and Commerce, Academy of Journalism and Public Affairs in Radio and TV Programming (1974-78). He worked as an officer at the Turkish Aircraft Industries. He attended Ankara University, Faculty of Education, Program of Arts History Education. He was appointed to İstanbul Radio on passing the production exam of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (1981). He prepared educational and cultural programs for radio. He directed children’s programs on being appointed as producer of children’s programs for İstanbul Radio in 1984. He worked as an assistant manager for Educational and Cultural Broadcasting (1985-93), manager of control and editing (1993-97). He is the member of the Writer’s Union of Turkey and the Professional Association of Scientific and Literary Work Owners of Turkey and he is the Head of the Children’s Foundation.

He studied as a lecturer of copywriting at İstanbul University, School of Radio and TV Broadcasting (1986-91). He worked at the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of National Education, the State Planning Organization, the Turkish Republic Government, the Ten-year Educational Program on Human Rights, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice, as jury member at universities, as a member of counseling boards and as a tutor. He has been involved in debates; he has presented communiqués, held conferences and attended congresses and symposiums. He was the spokesman for civilian organizations during the “Habitat II” conference in Turkey. He has directed projects aimed at children measuring the degree of service, education and research in the country and its cities. He was the spokesman of Turkey’s Labor Group for the campaign “Say Yes for Children” held in 2001 in coordination with UNICEF worldwide. He prepared the project, the “1st Congress of the Children of İstanbul” held between 26 and 27 January 2000 by the Governorship of İstanbul. He wrote the text for the “İstanbul Urgent Action Plan for Children’, which was the first social political text regarding cities in Turkey and he subsequently took over the general coordination (August 2000). He was one of the founders of the Children’s Rights Coalition of Turkey in 2001 and became the spokesman. He was the manager of the Children’s Foundation and Publications, which he established in 1990.

His first poem was published in the magazine Pınar in 1976. His poems and essays were published in the magazines of Pınar (1976), Nesil, Gerçek, Küçük Dergi, Kültür ve Sanat, Hisar, Türk Edebiyatı, Yönelişler, Argos, Mavera, Yedi İklim, Diriliş, Kaşgar and Dergâh. He has done research on mass communication devices and cultural change. He has concentrated on children’s literature since 1979. He published the Children’s Literature Almanac for three years starting in 1987.

He received the Historical Heritage Protection Foundation Encouragement Award at the Hegira Poetry Competition (1979), the Kayseri Artists Association Award for Children’s Literature (1983), the Children’s Literature Award from the Writers Union of Turkey (1984). With the series called “Our Children’s Literature from Yesterday to Today” which contained 39 radio programs he received the Historical Heritage Protection Foundation and the Journalists Association of Turkey Radio Program Award (1986); with the TV children’s program Gülücük (The Smile), he received the 1986 Award of the Historical Heritage Protection Foundation (with Ekrem Oymak); with the book Kuş Ağacı (Bird’s Tree), he won the UNESCO Asia Culture Center Illustrated Children’s Book Award in 1992 (with Dr. Nazan Erkmen). Some of his books have been translated into Romanian and Macedonian. His poems have been composed as children songs.

WORKS:

FAIRY-TALE: Masal Mektuplar (Fairytale letters, 1983), Altın Kiremitli Saray (A Palace Made Of Golden Tiles, 1983), Leyleğin Aklı (Mind of the Stork, 1983), Bilgi Ağacı (Information Tree, 1983), Yüzük Taşı (Ring Stone, 1983), Kar Altında Bir Kelebek (A Butterfly Under the Snow, 1988), Guguklu Saatin Kumrusu (Dove of the Cuckoo Clock, 1989), Keloğlan’ın Oyunu (Keloğlan’s Game, 1992), Bülbül ile Leylek (The Nightingale and the Stork, 1992), Aslankuş (Lion Bird, 1992), Her Çocuğun Bir Yıldızı Var (Each Child Has a Star), Mavi Rüyalar Gören Çocuk (The Child Who Has Blue Dreams), Aşk Olsun Çocuğum Aşk Olsun (Well-done My Child, Well-done!), Geceleri Çalan Kedi (The Cat Who Plays the Harmonica at Night), Dünyaya Gülen Adam (The Man Smiling at the World), Bir Şemsiyem Olsa Kuşlardan (I Wish I Had an Umbrella Made of Birds).

CHILDREN’S POETRY: Gökyüzü Çiçekleri (Sky Flowers, 1983), Bebeğin Duası (The Prayer of a Baby, 1985), Çocuk Kalbimdeki Kuş (The Bird in My Childish Heart, 1991), Yıldız Sayan Ağaç (The Tree Counting the Stars, 2002).

CHILDREN’S STORY: Her Çocuğun Bir Yıldızı Var (Each Child Has a Star, 1993).

ESSAY: Çocuk Yüzlü Yazılar (Children’s Faces in Writing, 1998).

POETRY: Rüya Saati (Dream Clock, 1998).

RESEARCH: Yayıncılık Televizyon Çocuk ve Aile (Broadcasting Television, Children and the Family, 1988), Çocukluğun Kozası (The Cocoon of Childhood, 1998), Gösteri Çağı Çocukları (Children at the Age of Demonstration, 1989), Masal Atlası (Fairytale Map, 1998), Kuşatılmış Çocukluğun Öyküsü (The Story of a Surrounded Childhood, 1999), Çocuk Edebiyatı (Children’s Literature, 2002).

SPEECH: Çocuğa Adanmış Konuşmalar (Conversations Devoted to Children, 1998).

ANTHOLOGY-ANNUAL: Masal Çocuk (Dream Child, 1984), Çocuk Edebiyatı Yıllığı (Annual of Children’s Literature, 1987,1988,1989), Kaf Dağındaki Uçurtma (The Kite Over the Fabulous Mountain, 1990), Ninni Bebeğim Ninni (Lullaby For My Baby, lullaby and lullaby poem anthology, 1996), Bir Varmış Bir Yokmuş (Once Upon A Time, 1998).

JOURNAL: Hayat Gibi (Like Life).