Poet
and writer (b. 1911, Cide / Kastamonu - d. 7 July 1993, İstanbul). He attended
Kastamonu Primary School (1930) and after a six-year period of teaching, he
graduated from Ankara Gazi Institute of Education, Department of Literature
(1938). He worked as a teacher of Turkish at schools in Adapazarı and İstanbul.
In 1944, he was put on trial for his book with the title Sınıf (Class)
under the Article 142 of the Constitution and he was sent to prison. After he
was acquitted, he worked as a teacher for one year at Boğazlıyan Elementary
School and then he gave up teaching (1948). He was the general editor of the
reviews Markopaşa, Malumpaşa and
Merhumpaşa, of which he was also a founder. In 1952, he published
the comic paper Adem Baba. He spent more than five years in prison
because of his book Devam (Continuity, 1953).
His
poems, short stories and humorous stories were published in reviews in
Kastamonu (Nazikler, Açıkgöz, 1927-28) and later on in Çığır, Oluş,
Varlık, Hamlet (1930-39), Yürüyüş, Yurt ve Dünya, Gün (1942-46), Beraber
(1951-53), Türk Solu, Yeni Dergi, Gelecek, Yansıma. Among his works,
the most popular is Hababam Sınıfı (The Crazy Class, 1959), which was
also adapted for the stage by the author and many times on screen. He collected
the Madaralı and Orhan Kemal Novel Awards in 1982 with Yıldız Karayel (The
Wind from North and Northwest), the Ömer Faruk Toprak Award in 1987 with Ocak
Katırı Alagöz (Alagöz, the Mule of the Mine). Çınar Publications and the
newspaper Cide Postası have been
presenting literature awards in his name since 1984.
WORKS:
POETRY:
Yarenlik (Friendship, 1943), Sınıf (Class, 1944), Yaşadıkça
(As Life Goes On, 1947), Devam (Continuity, 1953), Üsküdar'da Sabah
Oldu (It’s Morning in Üsküdar, 1954), Soluk Soluğa (Out of Breath,
new poems and selected poems from his formerly published books, 1962), Karakılçık
(Black Fish Bone, 1960), Uzak Değil (It’s Not Far, collected poems,
1971), Güvercinim Uyur mu? (Will My Pigeon Sleep? 1974), Bütün
Şiirleri (All Poems, poems from the years 1937-38 and his new book Kulağımız
Kirişte-We Listen For the Door, 1983), Ocak Katırı Alagöz (Alagöz,
the Mule of the Mine, 1987).
NOVEL:
Karadeniz'in Kıyıcığında (On the Very Coast of the Black Sea, 1969), Karartma
Geceleri (Nights under Blackout, 1974), Sarı Yazma (Yellow Scarf,
1976), Yıldız Karayel (The from
North and Northwest, 1981), Halime Kaptan (Captain Halime, 2002).
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Can–kurtaran Yılmaz
(Yılmaz the Lifeguard, 1979), Öksüz Civciv (Orphan Chick, 1979), Bacaksız
Kamyon Sürücüsü (Pickle, the Lorry Driver, 1980), Bacaksız Sigara
Çocukları (The Naughty Tobacco Kids, 1980), Bacaksız Paralı Atlet
(Pickle, the Paid Athlete, 1981), Bacaksız Okulda (Pickle at School,
1983), Bacaksız Tatil Köyünde (Pickle at the Holiday Village, 1993), Küçükçekmece
Okyanusu (Küçükçekmece Ocean, 1983), Apartman Çocukları (Kids of the
Building, 1984).
HUMOROUS
STORY and NOVEL: Radarın Anahtarı (The
Keys of the Radar, 1957), Don Kişot
İstanbul'da (Don Quixote in İstanbul, 1957), Hababam Sınıfı (The Crazy Class, 1957), Bizim Koğuş - Pijamalılar (Our Ward - Those Wearing Pajamas, 1959),
Kesmeli Bunları (They Should Be
Killed, 1962), Nerede O Eski Usturalar (Where
are Those Old Razors?, 1962), Saksağanın
Kuyruğu (Tail of the Magpie, 1962), Şevket
Usta'nın Kedisi (Master Şevki’s Cat, 1965), Geçmişte Mazi (Past in the Past, 1965), Garibin Horozu (The Poor’s Rooster, 1972), Altın Eskicisi (Junk Gold Dealer, 1972), Palavra (Palaver, 1972), Tuh
Sana (Shame on You, 1972), Çatal
Matal Kaç Çatal (Forks! How Many Forks? 1972), Bunadı Bu Adam (He’s a Gaga, 1972), Keş (Addict, 1972), Al Atını
(Take Your Horse, 1972), Hababam Sınıfı
Baskında (Crazy Class in a Raid, 1972), Hababam
Sınıfı Uyuyor (The Crazy Class Is Asleep, 1972), Hababam Sınıfı Sınıfta Kaldı (Crazy Class Failed, 1975), Palavra (Palaver, 1982), Çalış Osman Çiftlik Senin (Work Hard
Osman, the Farm is Yours, 1983), Sosyal
Kadınlar Partisi (Social Women’s Party, 1984), Apartman Çocukları (Kids of the Building, 1984), Hoca Nasrettin ve Çömezleri (Nasreddin
Hoca and His Novices, 1984), Hababam
Sınıfı İcraatın İçinde (Crazy Class in Business, 1987), Rüşvetin Almancası (Bribery in German,
1988), Meşrutiyet Kıraathanesi (The
Café of the Constitutional Monarchy, 1988), Başkasın
Demokrasi (Nobody’s Like You, Democracy, 1988), Şeker Kutusu (Candy Box, 1990), Büyükkarı
Küçükkarı (Big Woman, Little Woman, 1990), Bir Namussuz Aranıyor (Wanted a Crook, 1990), Kasabanın Yarısı (Half of the Town, 1990), Kara Pamuk (Black Cotton, 1990), Bülbül Düdük (Nightingale Whistle, 1990).
PLAY:
Hababam Sınıfı Uyanıyor (Crazy Class is Awake, staged 1966; published,
1967), Abbas Yolagiden (Abbas the Traveler, 1967), Çatal Matal Oyunu (The
Fork Play, 1969) Hababam Sınıfı Sınıfta Kaldı (Crazy Class Failed,
staged 1971; published with the play İbiş-Stupid, 1971), Çil Horoz
(Freckled Cock, 1971).
ESSAY-MEMOIR:
Yokuş Yukarı (Up the Slope, 1982), Nerede Kalmıştık? (Where Were
We?, 1984), Cart Curt (Loud speak, 1984), Kırk Yıl Once Kırk Yıl
Sonora (Forty Years Ago, Forty Years Later, 1986).
REFERENCE Behçet Necatigil / Edebiyatımızda İsimler Sözlüğü (1960), Asım Bezirci / Papirüs (Aralık 1967), Seyit Kemal Karaalioğlu / Edebiyatımızda Şair ve Yazarlar ( 1968), Hikmet Altınkaynak / Edebiyatımızda 1940 Kuşağı (1977), Atilla Özkırımlı / Türk Edebiyatı Ansiklopedisi (4 cilt, 1982), Doğan Hızlan / Ozan Olarak Toplumla Uzlaşamadık (söyleşi, Gösteri, Temmuz 1982), 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), Şükran Kurdakul / Şairler ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1999), TBE Ansiklopedisi (2001), Orhan Kâhyaoğlu / Rıfat Ilgaz: Bütün Şiirleri (Varlık Kitap, Temmuz 2004).
