Poet and
writer (b. 1902, İnebolu / Kastamonu - d. 2 December 1994, İstanbul). He
graduated from Ankara Primary Teacher Training School (1922) and İstanbul
Advanced Teacher Training School, Department of Turkish Language and Literature
(1930). He worked as a teacher of literature in several cities until retirement
whilst at İstanbul Institute of Education (1969). In 1944, he was arrested on
the claim that he was a supporter of Pan-Turkism, but then released. He worked
as a student examiner in London (1951-64) and as a Turkish lecturer at London
University (1960-63).
He was known
not his poetry but for his research on literature. He edited for publishing the
works of Mercimek Ahmet and Katip Çelebi by simplifying and adding explanations
He also
published a research on Dede Korkut. His first poems, published in the
Kastamonu review Açıksöz (1922), were in prosodic meter. His later poems
that were based on the tradition of folklore poetry and were generally in
syllabic meter are more important. The first volume of Seçme Makaleler (Selected Articles), which consists of his articles from reviews
and annuals and was designated in three volumes, was published by İletişim
Publications with the title Eski, Yeni ve Ötesi (The Old, the New and the Rest) in 1995, and the second volume Kim Etti Sana Bu Kârı Teklif (Who Offered You this Profit?) in 1997. One volume of Çelebi Seyahatnamesi (Evliya Çelebi’s Book of Travels) of which he transcribed the
full text and prepared for publication was published by Yapı Kredi Publications
after his death (1996). Orhan Şaik also won the Writers Union of Turkey Service
Award in 1987.
WORKS:
POETRY: Birkaç Şiir (A Few Poems, 1976), Bu Vatan Kimin (Whose Land is This?,
1994).
RESEARCH: Dede Korkut (Dede Korkut, 1938; with the
name “The Book of Dedem Korkut”, 1973), Kâtip
Çelebi (Katip Çelebi, 1957), Kâtip
Çelebi'den Seçmeler (Selected Works of Katip Çelebi, 1968), Molla Lütfi (Molla Lütfi, 1987), Seçme
Makaleler (Selected Articles, 3 volumes, 1995-2002).
ESSAY-REVIEW:
Destursuz Bağa Girenler (Trespassing,
1982), Güçlük Nerede? (Where is the
Difficulty?, 3 volumes, 2001).
SIMPLIFICATION:
Kabusname (Book of Nightmares by
Mercimek Ahmet, 1944), Eşkâl-i Zaman
(Shape of Time by Ahmet Rasim, 1969), Hannâme
(Uzbek Epic, 1969), Mizan'ül-Hak (The
Balance of God by Kâtip Çelebi, 1973), Tuhfetü'l
Kibar fi Es-fari'l-Bihar (The Gift of the Greats in the Sea Campaign,
1973), Cerbe Fetihnamesi (The Book of the Cerbe Conquest by
Zekeriya Züde, 1975), Risale-i Mimariyye (The
Pamphlet of Architecture, by Mimar Mehmet Ağa, 1975), Vak'a-i Osmaniyye (Events in the Ottoman State by Bostanzâde Yahya,
1976), Ziyafet Sofraları (Banquet
Tables, from Mevaidün Nefâis fi Kavâidül Mecalis -Delicious Meals in the
Council of Regulations by Gelibolulu Mustafa Ali, 2 volumes, 1978), Halâtü'l-Kahire mine'l Adâti'zZahire
(The Situation of Cairo from Common Customs
by Gelibolulu Ali, 1984), Seyahatnâme
(Book of Travels, volume 1, by Evliya Çelebi, 1994), II. Sultan Osman'ın Şehadeti (The Testimony of Sultan Osman II by
Bostanzâde Mehmet Efendi, 1976), Harnâme
(Book of the Donkey, by Tokatlı Molla, 1986).
He also translated from English.
REFERENCE: Prof. Dr. Günay Kut / Orhan Şaik Gökyay (1989), 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)., Ayhan İnal / Kastamonulu Büyük Şair Devlet Sanatçısı Orhan Şaik Gökyay (Kültür Sanat, Eylül 1995), Behçet Necatigil / Edebiyatımızda İsimler Sözlüğü (18. bas. 1999), Nail Tan / Devlet Sanatçısı Orhan Şaik Gökyay’ın Türk Kültürüne ve Türk Edebiyatına Katkıları (Türk Dünyası Tarih Dergisi, Ocak 2001) - Orhan Şaik Gökyay I (H. Rıdvan Çongur ile, 2002), İbnülemin Mahmud Kemal İnal / Son Asır Türk Şairleri (c. 4, 2002), Nail Tan - Özdemir Tan / Gurur Kaynağımız Kastamonulular III (2004).
