Novelist and poet (b. 1909, Ahanda
village / Akçaabat / Trabzon – d. 20 June 1989, İstanbul). He also used the pen
name Hasan Deniz. His father died in World War I when he was a little child, so
he was brought up at an orphanage. He worked as a teacher in Malatya and
Adıyaman after completing his education at Sivas Primary Teacher School (1931).
He was educated at the Ankara Gazi Institute of Education, Department of
Painting and Vocation for two years. He could not complete his education
because he was charged with establishing secret organizations and publishing
political statements and sentenced under article 141 of the constitution. He
started to write in İstanbul after he was released from prison (1942). His
military service lasted for seven years, again for his political activities. He
worked as a translator and private teacher after having completed his military
service. He was arrested again during the 6-7 September 1955 events but was
acquitted. Afterwards he only worked on his writing.
His first poetry was written in syllabic
meter but afterwards leaned towards free verse and was published in reviews
such as İzler (Giresun), Servetifünûn (1928), Adım (Sivas,
1930), Yeni Yol, İnsan, Küllük, Ses and Yeni Edebiyat (1939-42)
and in his later years, in the reviews May, Papirüs, Türkiye Yazıları
etc. He is known for his work Kutsal İsyan (The Holy Revolt) in which he
narrated the years from the National Struggle to the death of Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk in novel form. He won the 1977 Orhan Kemal Novel Award with his work Kutsal
Barış (The Holy Peace).
There are indications of his
future poetry in his early works: Being against the war, his love of people and
nature and the abundance of images and sincerity. The poet chooses class
literature and supports the workers. Nazım Hikmet’s influence may be seen in
the poems of his second book as some parts of the poetry in this book bring to
mind his style with respect to their interlacing, discourse and images. For
instance, there are some lines similar to the lines in his first poem, Bahri
Hazer (The Hazard Sea).
WORKS:
POETRY: Adsız Kitap (Book Without
A Name, 1931), Deniz Feneri (The Lighthouse, 1937), Karacaahmet
Senfonisi (Symphony of Karacaahmet, 1960), Özgürlük Türküsü (The
Song of Liberty, 1971), Mapusanemden Şiirler (Poems from My Prison,
1974), Sürgün Şiirleri (Poems of Exile, 1975), Gecekondumdan Şiirler
(Poems from My Shack, 1976), Çoban Şiirleri (Shepherd Poetry, 1982), Nâzım'dan
Meltemler (Breezes from Nazım, 1989), Tuyuğlar (Tuyuğs*, 1990).
NOVEL-MEMOIR: Kutsal İsyan (The
Holy Revolt, in 8 volumes, 1966-67), Ateş Yılları (Years of Fire, 1968),
Savaş ve Açlar (War and the Hungry, 1968), Kutsal Barış (The Holy
Peace, in 7 volumes, 1972-76), Öksüz Musa (Orphan Musa, 1974), Musa'nın
Gecekondusu (The Hut of Musa, 1976), Açlık (Hunger, 1981), Türk
Kelebeği (Turkish Butterfly, 1981), Adalet Sıtması (Malaria of
Justice, 1983), Anadolu'da Bir Yunan Askeri (A Greek Soldier in
Anatolia, 1988).
MEMOIR: 6-7 Eylül Kasırgası (The
Hurricane of 6-7 September, 1971), 2. Dünya Savaşı'ndan Edebiyat Anıları
(Literary Memoirs from World War II, 1984), TKP ve Aydınlar (Turkish
Communist Party and Intellectuals, 1989).
SHORT STORY: Savaşta Çocuklar
(Children at War, 1981).