Durali Yılmaz

Storywriter, novelist and researcher of literature (b. 1948, Köke village / Acıpayam / Denizli). He attended primary school in the village where he was born and Burdur İmam-Hatip High School (1967) He graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Theology (1971). He received his doctorate at Mimar Sinan University with his thesis “Türk Romanının Doğuşu ve Ahmet Mithat” (The Birth of Turkish Literature and Ahmet Mithat). He became assistant professor in 1988. He worked at the Department of Religious Affairs in Ankara (1971). He was technical supervisor of the newspaper and review Diyanet. He worked as a specialist in İstanbul Registration Archive after he had completed his military duty.

He began to work at İstanbul University in 1984. He completed his doctorate education in the field of New Turkish Literature. He became assistant professor and professor in 1993 in the same field. He began his duty as assistant professor at İstanbul University, Faculty of Communication in 1988 and became the Head of the Department of Presentation and Public Relations and assistant director at İstanbul University, Institute of Social Sciences. He gave lectures about press and public relations in the Turkish War Colleges. He gave thesis lectures in the fields of public relations, journalism and Radio-TV. He went to Muğla University in 1995 and he completed the establishment of the Faculty of Science and Literature Department of Contemporary Turkish Dialects and Literature at this university. He became the Dean of Muğla University, Faculty of Science and Literature. He retired in 1999 and continued lecturing at the Cyprus Near East University.

He started his writing career in the newspaper Burdur’un Sesi (1965). He published his stories, commentaries and the other works in the reviews Hareket, Diriliş, Edebiyat, Hisar, Büyük Doğu and in the newspapers Tercüman, Türkiye, Yeni Devir. He supervised the art pages in newspapers and wrote columns. He won the Literature Award of the National Culture Foundation of Turkey in 1978 with Aziz Sofi (Saint Sofia), in 1980 with Fetva Yokuşu (Fetva Hill) and in 1982 with Gel İçimde Ağla (Come and Cry inside Me). He was chosen the Novelist of the Year by the Kayseri Artists Association (1982).

WORKS:

SHORT STORY: Söylenmeyen (Unspoke, 1975), Gel İçimde Ağla (Come and Cry inside Me, 1981), Akrebin Dansı (Dance of the Scorpion, 1989), Dansedebilmek (The Ability to Dance, 1997)

NOVEL: Siyah Perdeli Evler (Houses with Black Curtains, 1975), Savaş Günlüğü (The War Diary, 1976), Ankara’da Ölüm (Death in Ankara, 1976), Aziz Sofi (Saint Sofia, 1975), Fetva Yokuşu (Fetva Hill, 1978), Çilekeş Müslümanlar (Suffering Muslims, 1982), Ölmeden Ölenler (The Dead before Death, 1987), Yesevi Irmakları (Yesevi Rivers, 1995), Kıyam (Revolt, 1998), Kutup Yıldızları (Pole Stars, 2000), Şeyh Bedreddin (Şeyh Bedrettin, 2001), Çerağ Uyanacak mı? (Will Çerağ Wake Up?, 2002), Çilekeş Müslümanlar (Suffering Muslims, 2003).

ESSAY-STUDY: Romanımız ve İnsanımız (Our Novel and People, 1976), Roman Kavramı ve Türk Romanının Doğuşu (The Concept of the Novel and the Birth of the Turkish Novel, 1989), Türkçe ve Kompozisyon (Turkish and Composition, 1990), Roman Sanatı ve Toplum (Art of the Novel and Society, 1996).

SCRIPT: Sevgiyi Öğrenen Adam (The Man Who Learns Love, filmed by O. Pekmezoğlu, broadcasted on TV-2 between 5-12 October 1987).

He has also done simplifications.