Writer (b. 20 April 1923, İstanbul – d. 28
August 2015, İstanbul). He started his primary education at the Saint
Assomption College in Kumkapı, and attended the Saint Benoit College at the
last grade. As his father died in 1935, he had to quit this school and attended
the İstiklâl High School (1942). He entered İstanbul University, Faculty of Law
(1944); then transferred to the Faculty of Arts, Department of Philology at the
same university (1946); however, he left it and embarked on writing. He worked
as a secretary in the review Servet-i Fünun (Wealth of the Sciences,
1943-44), at the İstanbul Publications Directorate of the Ministry of National
Education, and at the translation office of the same ministry in Ankara
(1944-51). After writing essays, critiques and daily features in the newspapers
Yeni Sabah, İkdam, Ulus and Vatan (1951-69), he worked as
columnist in the newspapers Cumhuriyet and Milliyet (1991).
He embarked on literature with short stories.
His first works were published in the reviews Ateş and Çocuk Duygusu,
and in the newspaper Yeni Sabah (1940). Then, his translations appeared
in reviews such as Binbir Roman, Çocuk Haftası, and Yıldız. He
started professional writing in 1941. He gained fame in the literary world with
the short stories Sahil Kahvesi (The Café by the Sea), Önce Ekmekler
Bozuldu (First the Bread was Spoiled), Kibrit Alevi (Fire of Match),
and İstasyon (Station) which were published in the review Büyük
Doğu (1943-44). His later works appeared in the newspapers Vakit (1944-46) and Sanat-Edebiyat
(1947), and the reviews Varlık, Gösteri and Türk Dili.
In his short stories and novels, he told about
the tales of despair of the heroes who he had selected from the middle class,
in search of liberties which were regarded odd by the society, in a poetic
language. Autobiographical traces and memories have an important place in these
stories. He received the Turkish Language Association’s Novel Award with his
book Suçumuz İnsan Olmak (Our Crime is to Be Human, 1957) in 1958, the Sait
Faik Short Story Award with the book Berber Aynası (Mirror of Barber,
1958), and the Sedat Simavi Literature Award in 1993 with the same book.
WORKS:
SHORT STORY: Önce Ekmekler Bozuldu (First
the Bread was Spoiled, 1946), Aşksız İnsanlar (People without Love,
1949), Bizans Definesi (The Treasure of Byzantium, 1953), Bulutun
Rengi (Color of the Cloud, 1954), İkisi (Both of Them, new edition
of his first two story books, 1955), Berber Aynası (Mirror of Barber,
1958, by adding the stories in his book Color of the Cloud, 1999), Yalnızlık
Bana Yasak (Loneliness is Forbidden for Me, 1967), Tarzan Öldü (Tarzan
Has Died, 1969), İstinye Suları (Water of İstinye, 1973), İlk Yaz
Devrimi (Revolution Early in Summer, 1977), İki Çocuk (Tho Children,
1979), Karşı Kıyılar (The Shores Across, second edition of his book
“Tarzan Died” with new stories, 1979), Hey! Vapurlar Trenler (Oh!
Steamers, Trains, 1981), Lunapark (The Funfair, 1983), Bayraklı Kapı (The
Gate with a Flag, the first book of the series of “All Stories”, 1986),
Akşam Kuşları (Birds of Evening, All Stories, 1988), Ey Gece Kapını
Üstüme Kapat (Oh Night, Close Your Door on Me, 1988), Hücrede Karmen (Carmen
in a Cell, 1998).
NOVEL: Garipler Sokağı (The Street of
Destitute, 1950), Suçumuz İnsan Olmak (Our Crime is to Be Human, 1957),
İnsan Bir Ormandır (Man is a Forest, 1975), İki Roman (Two Novels,
“Our Crime is to Be Human” and “Man is a Forest” published in one volume, 1982),
Düş Ekmeği (Bread of Dream, 1983), Batık Bir Gemi (A Wrecked Ship,
1997).
ESSAY: Konumuz
Edebiyat (Our Subject is Literature, 1968), Yazmak Yaşamak (To
Write, To Live, 1972), Ölümsüz Oyun (The Immortal Game, 1974),
Atatürk Yaşadı mı (Did Atatürk Live?, 1975), Zaman Sensin (Time is
You, 1977), Yaşasın Edebiyat (Long Live Literature, 1977), Gençler
Bize Bakıyor (The Youth Watches Us, 1978), Temmuz Serçesi (The
Sparrow of July, 1978), Yaşamı Yeniden Kurmak (Re-establishing Life,
1979), Atatürkçülük Savaşı (The Fight for Kemalism, 1981), Atatürk
Bir Gün Gelecek (Atatürk Will Come Back Some Day, 1981), Önce Şiir Vardı
(First, There was Poetry, 1982), Dünyaya Açılmak (Opening out to the
World, 1982), Vatan Mahzun Ben Mahzun (The Homeland is Sad, I am Sad,
1983), Yaşayıp Görmek (Seeing by Living, 1984), Geçmişin İçinden (From
Inside the Past, 1985), Yarınlar Hesap Sorar (Tomorrows will Ask about
This, 1986), Susmak ve Konuşmak mı? (To Shut up and Speak?, 1987),
Tarih En Büyük Yargıç (History is the Greatest Judge, 1987), Bir de
Simit Ağacı Olsaydı (Wish There Existed Tree of Crisps, 1990), Yüzyıldır
Umutsuzluk (Despair for Centuries, 1991), Senin Adın Aşk (Your Name
is Love, 1993), Önce Aşk (Love at First, 1993), Güzel Düşlerin Sonu (End
of Beautiful Dreams, 1994), Şarkılarına Kadar Mahzun (Sad up to His
Songs, 1997), Sözcüklerle Yolculuk (Travel with Words, 1998).
MEMOIR: Şair
Dostlarım (My Poet Friends, 1964), Anı Değil Yaşam (Not Memory, But
Life, 1985), Kırmızı Tenteli Tramvay/Babıali'de 50 Yıl (The Tram with
Red Awning/Fifty Years in Babıali*-the
quarter of İstanbul famous with press and publication-, 1993), Şairlere Ölüm
Yok (No Death for the Poets, 1994), Şairler ve Ben (Poets and Me,
“No Death for Poets” and “Conversations with Poets published in one volume,
1999), Cüce Çeşme Sokağı Nerde? (Where is the Dwarf Fountain Street,
memories and album, 2001).
JOURNAL: Günlerde
I (In the Days I, 1968), Anılarda Görmek (Seeing in Memories,
1967-1969; 1972), Geçmişin Kuşları (Birds of the Past, Günlerde-In the Days and Anılarda Görmek-Seeing in Memories
published in one volume, 1965-1969; 1974), Yeryüzü Korkusu (The Fear of
Earth, 1970-1973; 1974), Anılarda Görmek/Günlük I (Seeing in
Memories/Diary I, 1965-1967; 1989), Geçmişin Kuşları/Günlük II (Birds of
the Past/Diary II, 1968 -1969; 1994),
Yeryüzü Korkusu/Günlük III (The Fear of Earth/Diary III, 1970-1975),
80'lerde Bir Yazar/Günlük IV (An Author in the 80's/Diary IV, 1980-1983;
1994).
TRAVEL LITERATURE: Hiroşimalar Olmasın (No Hiroshimas Shall
Happen, 1976).
RESEARCH: Dost Kitaplar (Friendly Books, 1967), Çağdaş Dünya
Edebiyatçılar Sözlüğü (A Dictionary of Contemporary Men of Letters in the
World, 1967).