Memduh Şevket Esendal

Novelist, Story Writer, Writer

Birth
29 March, 1883
Death
16 May, 1952
Horoscope
Other Names
M.Ş., M.Ş.E., Mustafa Memduh, Mustafa Yalınkat, M. Oğulcuk, İstemenoğlu

Storywriter and novelist (b. 19 March 1883, Çorlu / Tekirdağ - d. 16 May 1952, Ankara). He used the pen names MŞ, MŞE, Mustafa Memduh, Mustafa Yalınkat, M. Oğulcuk, İstemenoğlu. He graduated from Edirne High School. He became an active member of the Party of Union and Progress in 1906. He served as party inspector in 1908. As first foreign representative of the Turkish Grand National Assembly after establishment, he served as ambassador in Baku and Tehran (1925-1930) and Kabul (11 June 1933-31 October 1941). After working as history and geography teacher in Kabataş and Galatasaray High Schools for one year, he published the newspapers Halk and Meslek (1925-26). He again undertook post in the Foreign Affairs and worked as ordinary ambassador in Iran (1926-30). Then the tasks of deputy and diplomat continued. He worked as deputy of Elazığ (1930-32) and Bilecik (1932-38) and as ambassador in Afghanistan and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1932-38). He served as general secretary of the Republican People’s Party between 1941 and 1950.

Esendal, who was against the multiparty system, served as consultant to Atatürk and joined his journeys after the case of Liberal Party. After applying of multiparty system, he gave up the politics. He was accepted himself with his short stories and novels  in which he wrote plainly the ordinary lives of simple people. Ayaşlı ve Kiracıları (Ayaşlı and His Tenants, 1936), which receives degree in Republican Peoples Party Novel Awards in 1945 and became TV serial in 1989, was his most famous work. Some of his short stories not being published when he was alive, were collected and published by Muzaffer Uyguner (1983-88)

WORKS:

SHORT STORY: Hikâyeler-1 (Short Stories – I, under the title Otlakçı (Sponger) in 1946, under the title Temiz Sevgiler (Pure Loves) in 1958), Hikâyeler-2 (Short Stories II, 1946, under the title Mendil Altında (Under the Handkerchief) 1958, under the title Ev Ona Yakıştı (House Looked Good on Her, 1971), Sahan Külbastısı (Cutlet on Plate, 1983), Veysel Çavuş (Sergeant Veysel, 1984), Bir Kucak Çiçek (A Hug of Flowers, 1984), İhtiyar Çilingir (Old Locksmith, 1984), Hava Parası (Key Money, 1984), Bizim Nesibe (Our Nesibe, 1984), Kelepir (Dirt Cheap, 1986), Gödeli Mehmet (Gödeli Mehmet, 1986), Güllüce Bağları Yolunda (On the Road of Güllüce Vineyard, 1992), Gönül Kaçanı Kovalar (Heart Follows the Escapee, 1993), Mutlu Bir Son (A Happy End, 2005).

MEMOIR: Tahran Günlüğü (Journal of Tehran, 1998, with the title Tahran Anıları ve Düşsel Yazılar (Tehran Memoirs and Imaginary Writings, 1999).

NOVEL: Miras (Heritage, 1925), Ayaşlı ve Kiracıları (Ayaşlı and His Tenants, 1934), Vassaf Bey (Vassaf Bey, 1983, not completed).

LETTER: Kızıma Mektuplar (Letters to My Daughter, edited by Muzaffer Uyguner, 2001), Oğullarıma Mektuplar (Letters to My Sons, 2003).

New editions of his books were published by Dost and Bilgi Publishing Houses. Those which were edited by Muzaffer Uyguner and published by Bilgi Publishing House: Collected Works: Ayaşlı ile Kiracıları (Ayaşlı and His Tenants, novel, 1998), Vassaf Bey (Vassaf Bey, novel, 1999), Otlakçı (Sponger, short story, 1995), Mendil Altında (Under the Handkerchief, short story, 1998), Sahan Külbastısı (Cutlet on Plate, short story, 1999), Veysel Çavuş (Sergeant Veysel, short story, 1996), Bir Kucak Çiçek (A Hug of Flowers, short story, 1999), İhtiyar Çilingir (Old Locksmith, short story, 1997), Hava Parası (Key Money, 1997), Bizim Nesibe (Our Nesibe, short story, 1998), Kelepir (Dirt Cheap, short story, 1999), Gödeli Mehmet (Gödeli Mehmet, short story,1986), Miras (Heritage, novel, 1988), Güllüce Bağları Yolunda (On the Road of Güllüce Vineyard, short story, 1992), Gönül Kaçanı Kovalar (Heart Follows the Escapee, short story, 1993), Tahran Anıları ve Düşsel Yazılar (Tehran Memoirs and Imaginary Writings, memoir-letter, 1999).

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