Poet and
writer (b. 21 April 1955, Üsküdar / İstanbul).
He is a graduate of Mardin High School and Ankara University, Faculty of
Language, History and Geography, Department of Theatre. He did his masters in
the same department. His master’s thesis was Aynı Malzemenin Üç Ayrı Türde Yazılması ve Yazarlık Tekniklerinin
İncelenmesi (Writing of the Same Material in three Different Styles and the
Examination of Authorship Techniques). His doctoral dissertation Dil ve Yapı Özellikleri Açısından İki
Kişilik Oyunlar ve Diyalogun Evrimi (Two Person Plays in Respect to
Linguistic and Structural Properties and the Revolution of Dialogue) could not
be finished because he had to leave his doctoral studies during the period of
12 September. He worked as a dramatist at Ankara State Theatres. Later, he
worked at İstanbul City Theatres. In 1987, he worked as a culture
and art page editor in the daily journal Söz.
In 1991, he prepared a collection of 49 books with the emblem “Çelik” for Remzi
Bookshops and supervised this series. From May 1996 onwards, he prepared some
articles in a fragmentary style in the magazine Öküz. From January 2002
onwards, he wrote a whole page, still in a fragmentary way in the culture and
art supplement of the journal Milliyet. He took a basic translation of Binbir
Gece Masalı (The Tales of 1001 Nights), inspired by Richard Soudé’s play Binbir
Gece Masalları (The Tales of 1001 Nights), which was put onto the stage by
Lulu Menase at the City Theatres and then worked as the assistant director.
His poems were
first published in the magazine Birikim. His poems and articles were
then published in journals of which he
was the editor-in-chief, such as Yeni
İnsan,
7 Gün, etc. His
first play to be staged was Bir Garip Orhan Veli (A Poor Orhan Veli)
which he had adapted from Orhan Veli’s poems. This play, first performed
in 1981, has been performed several times and it was published as a book in
1993. His
play Mahmudo ile Yezida (Mahmudo and
Yezida, 1980) won the second prize at the İş Bank 1979 Theatre Play Award.
He shared the
Academy Poetry Award with Turgut Fişekçi and Ozan Telli with his poetry book Osmanlıya Dair Hikâyât (Stories
about the Ottomans, 1981). He won the Gösteri
magazine’s poetry award with his poem Sahtiyan
(Moroccan Leather). He was selected as best theatre writer
along with Mehmet Baydur for his play Taziye
(Condolence) by the Art Institute. With his short story Hedda Gabler Diye Bir Kadın (A Woman Called Hedda Gabler), he
shared the 1987 Haldun Taner Short Story Award with Nedim Gürsel. His short story
Kasım ile Nasır (Kasım
and Nasır) was performed in Italy at
So far, Mungan
has written lyrics for songs almost exclusively performed by the group Yeni
Türkü. The cover album Söz Vermiş
Şarkılar (The Songs Which Gave Promise) that gathers together all the song
lyrics of the writer and is sung by various important artists was released in
2004. He has joined various debate and reading programs in Germany, Austria,
Holland, Sweden, France, the United States and Greece. His articles, poems and
some of his books have been translated into English, German, French, Italian,
Swedish, Norwegian, Greek, Finnish, Kurdish, and Dutch and published in various
journals and magazines.
WORKS:
POETRY: Osmanlıya Dair Hikâyât (Stories about the Ottomans, 1981), Kum Saati (Hour Glass, 1984), Sahtiyan (Moroccan Leather, 1985), Yaz Sinemaları (Summer Cinemas, 1989), Eski 45'likler (The Old 45 Records, 1989), Mırıldandıklarım (Things That I Mutter, 1990), Yaz Geçer (Summer Passes, 1992), Oda Poster ve Şeylerin Kederi (The Fate of the Room the Poster and the Things, 1993), Omayra (Omayra, 1993), Metal (Metal, 1994), Oyunlar İntiharlar Şarkılar (Plays, Suicides, Songs, 1997), Mürekkep Balığı (The Squid, 1997), Başkalarının Gecesi (The Night of the Others, 1997), Doğduğum Yüzyıla Veda (Farewell to the Century in which I was Born, 1999), Erkekler İçin Divan (Divan for Men, 2001), 13+1 (13+1, selected poems), Li Rojhilatê Dilê Min (In the East of my Heart, selections from Kurdish Poetry, 1996), Timsah Sokak Şiirleri (The Poems of Crocodile Street, 2003), Eteğimdeki Taşlar (The Stones in my Lap, 2004).
PLAY: Mahmud ile Yezida (Mahmud and Yezida,
1980), Taziye (Condolence, 1982), Geyikler Lanetler (Deer Curses, 1992), Bir Garip Orhan Veli (A Poor Orhan Veli,
1993).
SHORT STORY: Son İstanbul (The Last İstanbul, 1985), Cenk Hikâyeleri (Short Stories of Battle, 1986), Kırk Oda (Forty Rooms, 1987), Lâl Masallar (Silent Tales, 1989), Kaf Dağının Önü (The Front of the Kaf Mountain, 1994), Üç Aynalı Kırk Oda (Forty Rooms with Three Mirrors, 1999), Çocuklar ve Büyükleri (Children and their Elders, 2001), 7 Mühür (7 Seals, 2002, selected shorts stories), Yüksek Topuklar (High Heels, 2002), Yabancı Hayvanlar (Foreign Animals, 2003).
ESSAY: Metinler Kitabı (The Book of Texts,
1998), Paranın Cinleri (The Genies of Money, 1997), Bir
Kutu Daha (Another Box, 2004).
NOVEL: Yüksek Topuklar (High Heels, 2002), Beşpeşe (In Consecution, 2004, with Bülent Erkmen, Celil Oker, Pınar Kür, Elif
Şafak, Faruk Ulay, Çador
(Çador, 2004).
