Novelist (b. 1875, İstanbul - d. 23 December 1931). He graduated from the
Naval Academy (1891). He stayed for two years in Crete, where he was sent for
practical training. He completed his training in Germany, where he went to
participate in the opening ceremony of the Kiel Channel (1895). When he
returned to Turkey, he served as the liaison officer for the embassy ships in
Tarabya in İstanbul. In 1908, he retired and engaged himself in writing. When
he died, he was buried in the family vault in Maçka.
His career in literature began when his short story Düşmüş
(Fallen), which he had sent to Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil, was published in the
newspaper Hizmet. Later on, he met the writers of Scientific Wealth via
Halit Ziya and joined them. His short stories were published in Resimli
Gazete (with the pen name Rauf Vicdani) and in Mekteb, where he was
also the editor for some time. He gained great fame with his novel Eylül
(September, 1901), which was the first psychological novel in Turkish literature.
Some books of his containing obscene language overshadowed his fame. He left
over thirty works in the areas of prose, short story, novel and theatre. He has
no relation to Mehmet Rauf, son of Ferik Atıf Paşa, merely a similarity of
names.
WORKS:
NOVEL:
Eylül (September, 1901), Ferdâ-yı Gâram (The Future of love,
1913), Karanfil ve Yasemin (Carnation and Jasmine, 1924), Genç Kız
Kalbi (Young Girls’ Heart, 1925), Böğürtlen (Blackberry, 1926), Define
(Treasure, 1927), Son Yıldız (The Last Star, 1927), Ceriha
(Wound, 1927), Kan Damlası (Drop of Blood, 1928), Halas
(Salvation, 1929).
SHORT
STORY: İhtizar (At The Point Of Death, 1909), Âşıkane (Amorously,
1909), Son Emel (Last Wish, 1913), Hanımlar Arasında (Among
Ladies, 1914), Bir Aşkın Tarihi (History of A Love, 1915), Üç Hikâye
(Three Tales, 1919), İlk Temas İlk Zevk (First Touch, First Pleasure,
1923), Aşk Kadını (Woman of Love, 1923), Eski Aşk Geceleri (Old
Nights of Love, 1924).
FREE
VERSE: Siyah İnciler (Black Pearls, 1901).
PLAY:
Ferdi ve Şürekası (Ferdi and His Accomplices, adapted from the novel by
Halid Ziya with the same title, 1909), Pençe (Claw, 1909; made into
movie, 1917), Cidal (Conflict, 1911), Sansar (Marten, 1920).
MEMOIR:
Mehmed Rauf'un Anıları (Memoirs of Mehmed Rauf, edited by Rahim Tarım,
2001).
