Novelist and storywriter (b. 12 October
1934, İnebolu / Kastamonu - d. 13 December 1977, İstanbul). His father was
Cemil Atay, who was once a parliamentary deputy of the Republican People’s
Party. He settled in Ankara with his family in 1939. He attended Ankara Maarif
College (1952) and graduated from İstanbul Technical University, Faculty of
Civil Engineering (1957). After military service, he began to work as a
lecturer at the İstanbul State Academy of Engineering and Architecture,
Department of Civil Engineering. He gave lectures on topography and motorway
construction. In 1975, he became an associate professor. He went to London for
treatment to a tumor on his brain; however, he died in İstanbul.
He gained fame with the Achievement
Award from the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation’s Art Awards in 1970,
before his novel Tutunamayanlar (The
Disconnected) was published, in which he criticized social changes and
intellectual attitude after 1960. After the novel was published, it became a
matter of important debate, due to the observations of society, the lifestyle
of intellectuals and criticisms of social institutions in the period between
the 1930’s and 1960’s. In his other novel Tehlikeli
Oyunlar (Dangerous Games), inspired by Tutunamayanlar
(The Disconnected), he went on to deal with the dilemmas of the intellectuals
isolated from their surroundings. In Bir
Bilim Adamının Romanı (The Novel of a Scientist, 1975), he depicted the
life story of Prof. Dr. Mustafa İnan, the young scientist who died at a very
young age. His play Oyunlarla Yaşayanlar
(Living with Games) was posthumously staged at the State Theatres and private
amateur theatres between 1979 and 1980. He did not have the chance to complete
his project titled Türkiye'nin Ruhu
(The Spirit of Turkey). His articles and interviews were published in various
reviews. His literary character and works constituted an eminent source for
debates on intellectuals after he died.
WORKS:
NOVEL: Tutunamayanlar (The Disconnected, 2 volumes, 1971-72), Tehlikeli Oyunlar (Dangerous Games, 1973), Bir Bilim Adamının Romanı (The Novel of a Scientist, 1975), Eylem-bilim (Action-Science, 1998),.
SHORT STORY: Korkuyu Beklerken (Waiting for Fear, 1975).
PLAY: Oyunlarla Yaşayanlar (Living with Games, staged, 1979 - 80,
published by state publications, 1985).
JOURNAL: Günlük (Journal, 1988).
He also wrote a vocational book titled Topografya (Topography).
REFERENCE: Atilla Özkırımlı / 1972’de Hikâye ve Roman Üzerine Notlar: Tutunamayanlar (Sinan Yıllığı 1973), Oğuz Demiralp / Oğuz Atay‘ı Değerlendirmek Yolunda (Oluşum, Ekim 1978), Çağlar Keyder / Biz Niçin Onlar Gibi Olamıyoruz (Milliyet, 29.1.1984), Olcay Önertoy / Türk Roman ve Öyküsü (1984), Gürsel Aytaç / Çağdaş Türk Romanları Üzerine İncelemeler (1990), 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), Ahmet Oktay / Roman Üzerine Düşünceler (Sanat Dünyamız, sayı: 47, Bahar 1992), Ömer Lekesiz / Yeni Türk Edebiyatında Öykü - 4 (2001), Dilek Yalçın / Kastamonulu İki Yazar: Oğuz Atay– O. Anbarcıoğlu (2001), TBE Ansiklopedisi (2001), Selim İleri / Oğuz Atay’ın Mektubu (Varlık, Şubat 2005), Yıldız Ecevit / Ben Buradayım (2014).
