Poet (b. 13 April 1942, Çatalca / İstanbul). He attended the
Çankırı High School and graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Language,
History and Geography, Department of Russian Language and Literature (1966). He
completed his master studies at University of Moscow, Faculty of Literature. He
worked as dramaturge in the İstanbul Municipal Theatres. He was one of the
founders of the Federation of Idea Clubs in 1965. He became the general
secretary of the Writers Syndicate of Turkey in 1979. He went abroad after the
military coup on 12 September 1980. He published a review called Anka in
French, in France in 1986. Then, he returned home.
His first poems were published in the
newspapers Yeni Çankırı and Yeşil Ilgaz with the pen name Ataol
Gürus. He used also the pen names Ata Haydar and Aykut Baykal. During these
years, he published his poems and short stories in the reviews Varlık
(1960), Ilgaz, Ataç, Elif, Gençlik, Yapraklar, Evrim, Dost, Şiir Sanatı,
Papirüs, Yeni Dergi, Yelken, Devinim 60, and Dönüşüm (1965), where
he was one of the founders. He published the reviews Halkın Dostları in
1970-71 together with İsmet Özel, and Militan with his brother Nihat
Behram. He received the Union of Asia-Africa Lotus Literature Award in 1981.
WORKS:
POETRY: Bir Ermeni General (An Armenian
General, 1965), Bir Gün Mutlaka (One Day, for Sure, 1970; collected
poems under the same title, volume 1, 1991), Yolculuk, Özlem, Cesaret ve
Kavga Şiirleri (Poems of Travel, Yearning, Courage and Fight, 1974), Ne Yağmur
Ne Şiirler (Neither Rain Nor Poems, 1976), Kuşatmada (Under Siege,
1978), Mustafa Suphi Destanı (The Epic of Mustafa Suphi, 1979), Dörtlükler
(Quatrains, 1980), Seçme Şiirler (Selected Poems, 1959-82, 1983), İyi
Bir Yurttaş Aranıyor (A Good Citizen Wanted, 1983), Kızıma Mektuplar
(Letters to My Daughter, 1987), Türkiye Üzgün Yurdum, Güzel Yurdum
(Turkey, My Sad Home, Beautiful Home, Germany, 1985), Eski Nisan (The
Old April, 1987), Bebeklerin Ulusu Yok (Babies Have No Nationality
1988), Yaşadıklarımdan Öğrendiğim Bir Şey Var (There is One Thing that I
Have Learned from What I Lived, collected poems, volume 2, 1992), Kızıma
Mektuplar (Letters to My Daughter, collected poems, volume 3, 1993), Sevgilimsiz
(Without My Beloved, 1993), Aşk İki Kişiliktir (Love is for Two, 1999), Yeni
Aşka Gazel (An Ode to New Love, 2002).
ESSAY: Yaşayan Bir Şiir (A Living Poem,
1986), İki Ateş Arasında (Between Two Fires, 1989), Mekanik
Gözyaşları (Mechanical Tearsdrops, 1990), Nazım'a Bir Güz Çelengi (A
Wreath of Autumn for Nazım, 1990), Şiirin Dili Ana Dil (Mother Language,
Language of Poem, 1995), Kimliğim İnsan (My Identity is Being Human,
1997), Kendin Olmak ya da Olmamak (To Be or Not to Be Yourself, 2002).
ANTHOLOGY: Dünya Şiirleri Antolojisi
(An Anthology of World Poems, 1986), Son Yüzyıl Büyük Türk Şiiri Antolojisi
(An Anthology of Great Turkish Poetry of the Last Century, 2 volumes, 1987-88).
PLAY: Lozan (Lausanne, 1993).
MEMOIR: Aziz Nesinli
Fotoğraflar (Photographs with Aziz Nesin, 1995), Aziz Nesinli Anılar
(Memories Containing Aziz Nesin, 2001).
TRAVEL LITERATURE: Başka Gökler Altında
(Under Other Skies, 1996).
LETTER: Genç Bir
Şairden Genç Bir Şaire Mektuplar (Letters from a Young Poet to a Young
Poet, correspondence with İsmet Özel, 1995), Şiirin Kanadında Mektuplar (Letters
on the Wing of Poem, correspondence with Metin Demirtaş, 1997).
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Yiğitler
Yiğidi ve Uçan At Masalı (The Hero of Heroes and the Tale of Flying Horse,
1990).
Besides, he made translations.
REFERENCE: Asım Bezirci / Dost (Nisan 1970) - On Şair On Şiir (1971), 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), Leyla Şahin / Derin Gülün İçinde (Cumhuriyet Kitap, 29.7.1999), Zeynep Aliye / Ataol Behramoğlu ile Söyleştik: Şiir, Yaşam ve Her Şey Üzerine (Cumhuriyet Kitap, 14.10.1999), Behçet Necatigil / Edebiyatımızda İsimler Sözlüğü (18. bas. 1999), Şükran Kurdakul / Şairler ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü (gen. 6. bas. 1999), Tanzımat’tan Bugüne Edebiyatçılar Ansiklopedisi (2001), Varlık (Ekim 2002), Anıl Meriçelli / Yalnızlık Mevsim Olur (2002), Birsen Pekçolak - Zeki Büyüktanır / Homeros'tan Günümüze Anadolu Destanları (2002), Tülin Er / Söyleşi (Varlık Kitap, Haziran 2002), Serdar Koçak / Yeni Aşka Gazel (Radikal Kitap, 26.11.2002), Taner Namlı / Ataol Behramoğlu Şiirlerinin Yapısal İncelemesi (Adam Sanat, Kasım 2004).
