Poet
and writer (b. 20 June 1930, Ökes village / Akşehir / Konya). He graduated from
the İvriz Village Institute (1948), Ankara Gazi Education Institute, Special
Education Department (1948), London Marylebone College (1962). While he was a child
he worked as an apprentice and a shepherd. He also worked as a primary school
teacher in the villages of Akşehir (1948 – 53), as a primary school inspector
in Mersin (1955), Antalya (1957) and İzmir (1958 – 81), an education specialist
at İzmir Gaziemir High School and a publisher. In the year 1953, he was charged
with making communist propaganda in his book named Eşeğimiz ve Ben (Our
Donkey and Me), he was put on trial but acquitted. Since
His
first poem (Yaylada-On the Plateau)
was published in the magazine Yayla (Samsun) in the year 1946. His life
of writing began in the year 1945, upon his arrival at Konya Ereğli İvriz
Village Institute. He wrote columns in the magazines Yurt, Edebiyat Dünyası, Yeni Ufuklar, İmece, Demet,
Aykırısanat, Ardıçkuşu, Damar, Agora, Çalı, Berfin Bahar, Ülkü, Köy Postası,
Erciyes, Damla, Sultandağı, Mavi, Kaynak, Yücel, Gayret, İvriz, Varlık and the newspapers Yeni Konya, Akşehir, Milliyet,
Demokrat, İzmir, Sabah Postası, Demokrat Ege, Yeni asır, Cumhuriyet. From
1947 on, he won awards in contests arranged by various magazines and
municipalities. In the category of poetry, he gained many awards. Third rank
award from Bursa Nilüfer Dergisi in 1947, first rank awardfrom Edirne
Damla Dergisi in 1948, second rank award from the Association of Turkish
Cypriots in London in 1962, second from İstanbul Taşlı Tarla Dergisi in
1972 and in the novel category, he won the third rank award from Çankaya
Municipality in Ankara in 1996. Thanks to his contributions to the Turkish
language, he gained the Award of the Year given by the Kosova Turkish Culture
Art Foundation in 2001.
He also was the Director of the National Federation
Headquarters of Turkish Teachers Associations. In the year 1965, he helped in
the establishment of the Turkish Teachers Union together with Fakir Baykurt and
ninety-three friends and he was appointed to the directorate at the
headquarters as the representative of the Aegean Region. In İzmir, he
established the Union of Turkish Primary School Inspectors for the first time.
He also became the founder of the Unity and Solidarity Association of All
Teachers and the Society of Educators. He was one of the founders of the
Foundation of Contemporary Education and Village Institutes. He is a member of
the Society of Educators, the Turkish Authors Association, the Writers
Syndicate of Turkey, the Union of Turkish Primary School Inspectors, the
Ataturkist Thought Association, the Cyprus, Eurasia and Balkans Turkish
Literature Association and the Association of the Turkish Language.
WORKS:
POETRY:
Cıvıltı (Twittering, 1949), Anadolu Yankıları (Echoes of Anatolia,
1948), Ozanca (Like a Poet, 1951), Sevgi Barışla Büyür (Love Grows with
Peace, 1996), Yaşama Sevinci (The
Delight of Life, 2000).
FAIRY
TALES: Ceylan Kuzu (The Gazelle
Sheep, 1962), Keloğlan ile Delioğlan (Keloğlan
and the Mad Boy, 1970), Telli Turna (Crowned
Crane, 1975), Edi ile Büdü (Eddy and
Buddy, 1980), Yaşayan Anadolu Efsaneleri (The
Living Legends of Anatolia, 2004).
SHORT
STORY - NOVEL: Bücür Osman (Osman the
Short, 1989), Yolun Öteki Ucu (The
Other End of the Road, 1990), Serçeler
Yakına Konar (The Sparrows Perch Close, 1996), Bir Arpa Boyu Uygarlık (Not Far from Civilization, 1996), Köyün Demircisi (The Blacksmith of the
Village, 1997), Mektuplar Barış Olsa
(If Only Letters were Peace, 1999), Kınalı
Güvercin (The Hennaed Pigeon, 2000), Sabahlar
Günaydınla Başlar (Mornings Start with ‘Good Morning’, 2000), Öyküler Ne Söyler? (What Do Stories
Tell? 2000), Beyaz Mendil (The White
Handkerchief, 2000), Günaydın Çocuklar (Good
Morning Kids, 2000).
RESEARCH:
Adada Bir Yıl (One Year on the
Island, 1962), Anılarla Atatürk (Atatürk
with Memories, 1980), Nasrettin Hoca
(Nasreddin Hoca, 1985), Mavi Sularda
(On the Blue Waters, 1993), Çağdaş Eğitim
ve Köy Enstitüleri (Contemporary Education and Village Institutes, 1993), Aydınlanma Devrimi ve Köy Enstitüleri (The
Enlightening Revolution and Village Institutes, 2004).
Almost
100 of his books have been published together with his lesson and vacation
books.
REFERENCE: Tarık Dursun K. / Evvel Zamanda Şairler... (Yeni Asır, 14.4.1998), Fahri Ali / “Sevgi Barışla Büyür”de Barış Sesleri (Yeni Birlik, Makedonya, 17.6.2000), Vedat Yazıcı / Martıya Mektuplar (2000), Ahmet Özer / Mevlüt Kaplan’ın Çok Yönlü Emeği - Vedat Günyol / Aydınlanma Devrimi ve Köy Enstitüleri - Berin Taşan / Bir Eğitim Emekçisi Mevlüt Kaplan - Hidayet Karakuş / Sessiz Sedasız Bir Kültür Emekçisi - Mehmet Başaran / Şair Mevlüt Kaplan - Talip Apaydın / Eğitimci Yazar Mevlüt Kaplan - Ahmet Günbaş / Adada Bir Yıl Mevlüt Kaplan’la Söyleşi (Çalı dergisi-M. Kaplan Özel Sayısı, 2001), İhsan Işık / 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), Serpil Ural (Çoluk Çocuk Dergisi, Aralık 2002), Dinçer Sezgin / Yaşamı Anlatan Sözcükler (Radikal, 22.11.2003), Aslan Bayır / Mevlüt Kaplan’ın Özgeçmişi (Aykırısanat-Mevlüt Kaplan Özel Sayısı, Nisan 2004), Aytül Akal / Mevlüt Kaplan’la Tele-röportaj (Cumhuriyet Kitap, 2000), Mavisel Yener / Mercek: Çocuk Kitapları - Üstadın Kaleminden (Virgül, sayı: 61, Nisan 2003), Nilay Yılmaz / Yaşayan Anadolu Efsaneleri (Cumhuriyet Kitap, 6.5.2004), M. Şerif Onaran / Köy Enstitüleri Aydınlığı (Cumhuriyet Kitap, 20.5.2004), Sirel Ekşi / Ömrünü Kitaba Verdi (Posta Ege, 31.01.2005), Necdet Tezcan / İzmir Yollarında (Keşan Önder Gazetesi, 25.04.2006), Prof. Dr. Tamilla Aliyeva / Çocuklardan Konuştum Sözümü Büyüklere Dedim (Tasvir Gazetesi, 05.02.2008), Özdemir Şarman / Mevlüt Kaplan Edebiyat Ödülü (Ege Telgraf Gazetesi, 06.03.2008), Mustafa Emre / Yaşam ve Sanat (Adana İlkhaber Gazetesi, 18.11.2012), Adnan Kaya / Köy Enstitülü Bir Yazar ve Yayıncı Dr. Mevlüt Kaplan (Hürriyet Ege, 20.09.2014).