Melisa Gürpınar

Poet (b. 9 December 1941, İstanbul). She attended the Zühtüpaşa Primary School, the secondary section of the Çamlıca High School for Girls and the Beyoğlu Commercial High School. After attending the Academy of Economical and Commercial Sciences for a short time, she graduated from Istanbul Municipal Conservatory, Department of Theatre (1964). She was educated in London on theatre, and meanwhile, organized cultural speeches at the Turkish Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (1965-67). She worked as an editor in the review Zeren (1962-63), as an educator of theatre at the Kadıköy Center for Public Education (1963-64), and as the chairwoman of the Society of New Theatre (1965-66). She was one of the founding partners of the Kardeş Theater (1969-70). She was engaged in management of a printing house in the same year. She became a member of the board of repertoire of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipal Theatre (1993-94). She lectured at the Müjdat Gezen Arts Center and in other private courses of theatre (1995-96). Later, she worked as an independent writer.

Her first work to be published was an article titled Köy Romanı, Şehir Romanı (City Novel, Rural Novel), published in 1959 in the newspaper Vatan. Her poems and essays were published mostly in the reviews Varlık, H. Gösteri, İstanbul, Yelken, Otağ, Ataç and Soyut. Her play Yeni Zaman Eski Hayat (New Time, Old Life) was staged between 1993 and 1995, and Şu Bizim Evliya Çelebi (That Evliya Çelebi of Ours) was staged after 1999 at the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipal Theatre. She received the Halil Kocagöz Award in 1991 with her work İstanbul'un Gözleri Mahmur (Eyes of İstanbul are Sleepy), the Avni Dilligil Playwright of the Year Award in 1994 with Yeni Zaman Eski Hayat (New Time, Old Life), and the Cevdet Kudret Poetry Award in 2003 with Ada Şiirleri (The Island Poems). She is a member of the Writers Syndicate of Turkey (general secretary between 1991 and 1993), the PEN Association of Writers, the Turkish Authors Association, the Society of Playwrights and the Society of Critics.

WORKS:

POETRY: Umut Pembeleri (The Pink of Hope, 1962), Yeni Bir Gün Şarkısı (The Song of A New Day, three books in one, 1975), Gece Yarısı Notları (Notes of Midnight, poetic narration, 1981), Ara Beni Sevgilim Sözcüklerin İçinde (Look tor Me, My Beloved, in Words, two books one, 1983), Yaz Mektupları (Letters of Summer, 1985), İstanbul'un Gözleri Mahmur (Eyes of İstanbul are Sleepy, poetic narration, 1990), Çocukluğum ve Ölümüm (My Childhood and My Death, 1993), Salkımsöğütlerin Gölgesinde (In the Shadow of Weeping Willows, poems in prose, 1998), Her Harf Bir Melek (Every Letter An Angel, 1999), Ada Şiirleri (The Island Poems, 2003), Küçük Şeyler (Small Things, 2004).

PLAY: Yeni Zaman, Eski Hayat (New Time, Old Life, 1993).

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Uçup Giden Kent (The City Flew Away, 1991), Kitap Benim Kanadım (Book is My Wing, poetic narration, 1999).

JUVENILE NOVEL: Okul Arkadaşım (My School Mate, 1998).

REFERENCE: İhsan Işık / Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, 2007).