Muhsin İlyas Subaşı

Poet (b. 25 July 1942, Şarkışla / Sivas). He also used the pen name Selçuk Yurdagül. He started his primary education in Yapıaltın village, and completed it in Şarkışla Elementary School (1956). He graduated from Kayseri İmam Hatip High School (1966) and Kayseri Advanced Institute of Islam (1972). He worked as a journalist (1966-73) and afterwards as a teacher in Malatya and Kayseri for a while (1973-95). After 1995, he continued his journalistic career along with his works of literature. He worked as the Kayseri representative of the Anatolian Agency and the Turkish News Agency and he was the Head of the Editorial Department at Hakimiyet and Yeni Sabah newspapers (1966-73).

He started his literary works organizing art pages in local newspapers. His first poem appeared in İslâm magazine in 1962. He became known with his first poetry book Vuslat Türküsü (Reunion Folksong). From 1965, Hareket (1965-75), Türk Yurdu (1965-70), Hisar (1975-80), Töre (1975-85), Küçük Dergi (director in 1979-81 for 24 issues in Kayseri), Türk Edebiyatı (1980-2000) and Erciyes magazines published his poems, essays, critiques, and research, while his articles on politics and current events were published in Yeni Devir, Türkiye and Zaman newspapers. He won the Kayseri Artists Association Poetry Award in 1981 and the Kayseri Journalists Association Press Award in the field of research in 1984 and 1985. He also received the General Directorate of Press and Broadcasting’s Press Award. Many of his poems were set to music and translated into English, German, and Arabic.

WORKS:

POETRY: Vuslat Türküsü (Reunion Folksong, 1968), Aydınlığın Gözleri (Eyes of Illumination, 1979), Bu Yüreğin Ülkesinde (In This Heart’s Country, 1981), Sevgi Donanması (Love Navy, 1982), Deryadil (Obsolete, 1985), Sevdakar (Giving Love, 1988), Bir Sır Gibi (Like a Secret, 1991).

NOVEL: Ahtopot (Octopus, 1995), Güneşe Uçan Kelebek (A Butterfly that Flies to the Sun, 2003), Aşkta Yanan Dede (A Dervish who Burns in Love, 2003).

PLAY: Alpaslan (Alpaslan, 1965).

RESEARCH: Dünden Bugüne Kayseri (Kayseri from Yesterday to Today, 1986), Kayseri’nin Manevi Mimarları (Kayseri’s Spiritual Architects, 1995), Taşla Konuşan Deha (Genius that Speaks to the Stone, 1996).

REFERENCE: Ahmet Kabaklı (Türk Edebiyatı, c. 4. s. 400), Sevinç Çokum (Yeni Düşünce, 29 Ekim 1983), D. Mehmet Doğan (Zaman, 26 Kasım 1986), Mustafa Ruhi Şirin (Türk Edebiyatı, Şubat-1982), İlhan Geçer (Türk Edebiyatı, Aralık-1983), Bekir Oğuzbaşaran (Türk Edebiyatı, Temmuz-1991), İhsan Kurt (Türk Edebiyatı, Ekim 1985) A. Vahap Akbaş (Yeni Devir, 26 Mart 1983), İhsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - 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) - Ünlü Edebiyatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 4, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013).