Critic (b. 1927, Giresun - d. 23rd July 2008, İstanbul). His real name is Naci Kalpakçıoğlu. He wrote his articles with the pen name Oktay Deniz from 1951. His first article with the pen name Fethi Naci that he began to use in 1953 was published in the review Kaynak (15 December 1953, Ankara). He attended Gazi Paşa Primary School (1939) and Giresun Secondary School. He graduated from Erzurum High School as free boarding student (1945) and İstanbul University, Faculty of Economics (1949). He won the assistantship examination while he was working as clerk in Sümerbank Linen Factory in Ereğli of Konya because of being a scholarship student. He was sent to Sultanahmet Prison for one and half month in 1951 with the justification of being the director of the Association of Undergraduated Youth. He was tried for Penal Code 142, but he was acquitted. When he was released, he settled in İstanbul and worked as chief accountant in Güven Paddy and Cereal Factory (1950-58), as personnel chief and secretary in Emayetaş Factory (1959-65). He left his job with the reason of his political character and founded Gerçek Publishing House (June 1965). He served as the general secretary of Turkish Authors Association (1967). Far from that, he lived as publisher and writer.
His first article in his school days
was published in the local newspaper Erzurum
in 1943. He entered the
literary world with his articles about poems and critiques published in the
newspaper Yeşil Giresun and the review of the People’s House Aksu (1945-49). He used his real name
Naci Kalpakçıoğlu in his short stories in the local newspapers and reviews
published in Giresun. His articles about either politics or literature were
published in the reviews Yeryüzü, Beraber
(with the pen name Oktay Deniz, 1952-53); in the reviews Vatan (1962), Yön (1966), Ant (Founder,
1967), Yeni Dergi, Soyut, Dost with
the pen name Fethi Naci. He was tried for 7,5 years in prison, because of his
first book İnsan Tükenmez (Human is
never Exhaused, 1956) being considered against the Penal Code 142, but he was
acquitted (1958). He was chosen the most appreciated critic in the
questionnaire of the review Dost in 1959. He wrote political articles in
the reviews and newspapers Vatan, Sosyal
Adalet, Yön and Ant which he had joint to its executive committee in 1960’s (1964-67).
Furthermore, his articles were published in the reviews and newspapers Yeni Dergi, Politika, Gösteri, Milliyet
Sanat, Yeni Düşün, Adam Sanat, Aydınlık, Yeni Yüzyıl, Cumhuriyet, Cumhuriyet
Kitap. He received the Sedat
Simavi Foundation Literature Award which he shared with Cevdet Kudret with his
book Bir Hikâyeci: Sait Faik - Bir
Romancı: Yaşar Kemal (A
Storywriter: Sait Faik-A Novelist: Yaşar Kemal) in 1991.
WORKS:
ESSAY-STUDY-CRITIQUE: İnsan Tükenmez (Human is never
Exhausted, 1956), Gerçek Saygısı
(Respect for Reality, 1959), Az Gelişmiş
Ülkeler ve Sosyalizm (Underdeveloped Countries and Socialism, 1965), Emperyalizm Nedir (What is Imperialism,
1965), Az Gelişmiş Ülkelerde Askerî
Darbeler ve Demokrasi (Military Coups and Democracy in Underdeveloped
Countries, 1967), Kompradorsuz Türkiye
(Turkey without any Compradors, 1967), Atatürk'ün
Temel Görüşleri (Fundamental Opinions of Atatürk, 1968), On Türk Romanı (Ten Turkish Novel,
1971), Edebiyat Yazıları (Literary
Articles, 1976), Türkiye'de Roman ve
Toplumsal Değişme (Novel in Turkey and Social Change, 1981), Eleştiri Günlüğü (Journal of Critiques,
1986), Bir Hikâyeci: Sait Faik - Bir
Romancı: Yaşar Kemal (A
Storywriter: Sait Faik-A Novelist: Yaşar Kemal, 1990), Gücünü Yitiren Edebiyat (Literature
Losing its Power, 1990), Roman ve Yaşam
(Novel and Life, 1992), Eleştiride Kırk
Yıl (Forty Years in Critique, 1994), Kırk
Yılda Kırk Roman (Forty Novels in Forty Years, 1994), Reşat Nuri'nin Romancılığı (Novel Writing of Reşat Nuri, 1995), Şiir Yazıları (Articles of Poetry,
1997), 50 Türk Romanı (Fifty Turkish
Novels, 1997), Kıskanmak / Eleştiri
Günlüğü: 5 (Being Jealous/ Journal
of Critique: 5), 60 Türk Romanı
(Sixty Turkish Novels, 1998), Yaşar
Kemal'in Romancılığı (Novel Writing of Yaşar Kemal, 1998), Sait Faik'in Hikâyeciliği (Story Writing
of Sait Faik, 1998), Yüzyılın 100 Romanı
(One Hundred Novels of the Century, 1999), Eleştiri
Günlüğü 1 [1980 - 1986] (Journal of
Critique I [1980-1986], 2002), Eleştiri
Günlüğü 2 [1986 - 1990] (Journal of Critique II [1986 - 1990], 2002), Eleştiri
Günlüğü 3 [1991 - 1992] (Journal of
Critique III [1991 - 1992],
2002).
MEMOIR: Dönüp Baktığımda (When I Looking at the Past, 1999), Dünya Bir Gölgeliktir (World is an
Arbor, 2002).
