Haldun Taner

Writer (b. 1915, İstanbul - d. 7 May 1986). He completed his secondary education at Galatasaray High School (1935). As contracted tuberculosis, he returned to Turkey, leaving his higher education at Heidelberg University in Germany (1938). He graduated from İstanbul University, Faculty of Literature, Department of German Language and Literature in 1950. In the years when he worked as an assistant of Art History in universities, his first play Günün Adamı (Man of the Day, 1953) was banned before it had been performed in the City Theatres. He graduated from the Max Reinhardt Theatre Institute in Vienna and then worked as assistant director at various theatres in this city. Returning to Turkey in 1957, he gave literature, art history and literature courses at the Institute of Journalism and at the Faculty of Literature at İstanbul University and theatre courses at the Language, History and Geography Faculty at Ankara University. He wrote culture and art articles in the newspaper Tercuman between 1955 and 60, his columns were published as editorials for some time. His articles in this newspaper and those published in the newspaper Milliyet from 1974 until his death were compiled in a book.

He skillfully wrote about characters from village and city in his stories and novels using a sensitive humor and satire. He was influenced by traditional Turkish theatre in his plays and with this he was regarded as pioneer of contemporary Turkish epic theatre. His most famous play and the one that is regarded as the first example of Turkish epic theatre Keşanlı Ali Destanı (Keşanlı Ali Epic Poem) was staged in Turkey and abroad, and was also was adapted to the cinema and television. He came first in Turkey at an international competition organized by the newspaper Herald Tribune with his story Şişhaneye Kar Yağıyordu (It Was Snowing in Şişhane) in 1953. He won the Saik Faik Award with his play On İkiye Bir Var (It is One Minute to Twelve) in 1955, the international Bordegherra Aeard with his story Sancho'nun Sabah Yürüyüşü (The Morning Walk of Sancho) in 1969 and the theatre award of the Turkish Language Association with his play Sersem Kocanın Kurnaz Karısı in 1972. Ha shared the Sedat Simavi Foundation Literature Award (with P. N. Boratav) with the book in which he collected his stories, Yalıda Sabah (Morning in the Waterside Mansion) in 1983. The plays of Haldun Taner have been performed many times in İstanbul City Theatres, State Theatres and in private theatres. After his death, a story award was organized in his name. New collections of his stories and plays have been published

WORKS:

SHORT STORY: Yaşasın Demokrasi (Yipee Democracy!, 1969), Tuş (Key, 1951), Şişhane'ye Kar Yağıyordu (It Was Snowing in Şişhane, 1953), Ayışığında "Çalışkur" (“Çalışkur” in the Moonlight, 1954), On İkiye Bir Var (It is One Minute to Twelve, 1954), Konçinalar (The Konçinas, 1967), Sancho'nun Sabah Yürüyüşü (Morning Walk of Sancho, 1969), Yalıda Sabah (Morning in the Waterside Mansion, 1984).

PLAY: Dışardakiler (Those Who Are Outside, 1957), Fazilet Eczanesi (Fazilet Parmacy, 1960), Lütfen Dokunmayın (Please do Not Touch, 1960), Günün Adamı (Man of the Day, 1961), Keşanlı Ali Destanı (Keşanlı Ali Epic Poem, 1964, edition, 1979), Gözlerimi Kaparım Vazifemi Yaparım (I Close My Eyes and Do My Job, 1964), Eşeğin Gölgesinde (In the Shadow of a Donkey, 1965), Zilli Zarife (Shrewish Zarife, 1966), Sersem Kocanın Kurnaz Karısı (The Cunning Wife of the Stupid Husband, 1971), Vatan Kurtaran Şaban, Bu Şehr-i İstanbul ki, Astronot Niyazi, Ha Bu Diyar (Şaban Who Is Saving the Homeland, This City that is İstanbul, Astronaut Niyazi, This Land, 1971), Aşku Sevda (The Love of Love, 1972), Dev Aynası (Giant Mirror,1973), Yar Bana Bir Eğlence (Let’s Find Me Some Entertainment, 1974), Hayırdır İnşallah (I Hope Nothing’s Wrong, 1980).

SPEECH: Hak Dostum Diye Başlayım Söze (I Start by Saying My Dear Friend, 1978).

TRAVEL LITERATURE: Düşsem Yollara, Berlin Mektupları (Wherever I End Up, Letters from Berlin, 1984).

OTHER WORKS: Devekuşuna Mektuplar (Letters for an Ostrich, articles on art and literature, 1960), Ölür İse Ten Ölür Canlar Ölesi Değil (If Something Dies, the Body Dies, But Not Souls, portraits, 1979), Çok Güzelsin Gitme Dur (You Are Very Beautiful, Don’t Go, Stop, 1983), Koyma Akıl Oyma Akıl (Setting Mind, Cutting Mind, 1985), Önce İnsan Olmak (First, To Be A Human, 1987).