Sevgi Soysal

Novelist, Story Writer

Birth
30 September, 1936
Death
22 November, 1976
Education
Ankara University Faculty of Language History and Geography Department of Classical Philology
Horoscope

Novel and storywriter (b. 1936, İstanbul, d. 22 November 1976, London). She spent a great deal of her life in Ankara, where her family had settled during her childhood due to her father’s job. After she graduated from Ankara High School for Girls and Ankara University, Faculty of Language, History and Geography, Department of Classical Philology, she studied archeology and theater education at Göttingen University in Germany (1957-58). When she returned to Turkey she first worked at the German Embassy. When 12 March came, she was working at the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation and like many intellectuals and writers, she too, without any particular reason, was arrested. She returned from her house arrest in Yıldırım Area Women’s Dormitory with the novels, stories, and memoirs that she had continuously wrote. Later on, again on account of one of her books, she was sentenced and lived in exile for four months in Adana.

She published her articles and books under the name Sevgi Nutku when she was married to Özdemir Nutku; Sevgi Sabuncu when she was married to Başar Sabuncu; and finally, Sevgi Soysal when she was married to Mümtaz Soysal. She died in London whilst receiving treatment for cancer; she is buried in Zincirlikuyu Graveyard.

Her essays and stories were published in Dost, Yelken, Ataç, Yeditepe and Değişim beginning from 1960, and from 1965 in Papirüs and especially in Yeni Dergi (1965-69). Her first novel Yürümek (To Walk), with which she received the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation Achievement Award in the 1970 Art Awards Contest, was confiscated on the claim that it was obscene. She also won the 1974 Orhan Kemal Novel Award with Yenişehir’de Bir Öğle Vakti (An Afternoon in Yenişehir). Her books were re-published in 8 volumes by Bilgi Publishing House.

WORKS:

SHORT STORY: Tutkulu Perçem (Passionate Locks of Hair, 1962), Tante Rosa (Aunt Rosa, 1968), Barış Adlı Çocuk (The Boy Named Barış, 1976).

NOVEL: Yürümek (To Walk, 1970), Yenişehir’de Bir Öğle Vakti (An Afternoon in Yenişehir, 1973), Şafak (Dawn, 1975), Hoş Geldin Ölüm (Welcome Death, her unfinished final novel, with her first story book Passionate Bangs, 1980).

MEMOIR: Yıldırım Bölge Kadınlar Koğuşu (Yıldırım Area Women’s Dormitory, 1976).

ANECDOTE: Bakmak (To Look, 1977).

REFERENCE: Vedat Günyol / Sevgi Sabuncu ve Erkek Dünyası (Yeni Ufuklar, Mayıs 1971) - Çalakalem (1977, s. 155-167), 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), Atilla Özkırımlı / “Tutuklu Perçem’den Şafak’a Sevgi Soysal’ın Yazarlık Çizgisi” Sevgi Soysal’ın Tante Rosa içinde (1996) – Türk Edebiyatı Ansiklopedisi (1982), Mustafa Arslantunalı / En Sondaki Fakir Uyak (Virgül, 2000), A. Ömer Türkeş / Sevgi Soysal: Edebiyatta Arayışın Adı - (Radikal Kitap, 26.11.2002), Erdal Doğan / Sevgi Soysal/Yaşasaydı Aşık Olurdum (2003),  Tomris Uyar / Bitmeyen Bir Devinim (Virgül, Şubat 2003). 

 

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