Ercüment Ekrem Talu

Novelist (b. 1886, İstanbul – d. 16 December 1986). He was the son of Recaizade Ekrem. He graduated from Galatasaray High School (1905) and Mekteb-i Hukuk (Istanbul University Faculty of Law), then studied politics in Paris. On his return, he worked as an interpreter at the Administration of General Debts (1906) and in the Senate (1908). In 1919 and 1923 he worked as the General Director of the Press, Head Clerk to the President and again the General Director of the Press (1927-31). He was appointed as the Undersecretary to the Ambassador to Warsaw in 1931. He also worked as a French teacher at the School of Politics and at the Gazi Institute of Education and as a literature teacher at Galatasaray High School from 1936. He retired in 1950. He died of cirrhosis of the liver and is buried in Zincirlikuyu Graveyard.

His first works were published in Çocuklara Mahsus Gazete (1904). During the Armistice he published a humor magazine called Alay with Aka Gündüz (1920-22). He is widely known for his humorous stories and novels in which he tells the exaggerated adventures of an Iranian, Meşhedi. His other novels, which narrate life in old İstanbul, are similar to those of Hüseyin Rahmi.

WORKS:

NOVEL: Evliya-yı Cedid (The New Evliya Çelebi, 1920), Asriler (Modern People, 1922), Gün Batarken (When the Sun Sets, 1922), Kopuk (The Tramp, 1922), Sabir Efendi’nin Gelini (The Daughter-in-law of Sabir Efendi, 1922), Kan ve İman (Blood and Faith, 1923), Şevketmeab (Majesty, 1925), Kundakçı (The Arsonist, 1926), Meşhedi ile Devrialem (Travel Around the World with Meşhedi, 1927), Gemi Arslanı (Lion of the Ships, 1928), Meşhedi Aslan Peşinde (Meşhedi Chases after Lions, 1934), Kodaman (The Bigwig, 1934), Pepeloğlu (Pepeloğlu, 1938), Beyaz Şemsiyeli (The Woman with A White Umbrella, 1939), Bu Gönül Böyle Sevdi (This Heart Loved Like This, 1941), Çömlekoğlu ve Ailesi (Çömlekoğlu and His Family, 1945).

SHORT STORY: Teravihten Sonra (After Teravih (religious ritual special to the nights of Ramadan), 1923), Sevgiliye Masallar (Tales for the Sweetheart, 1925), Kız Ali (Sissy Ali, 1926), Güldüren Kitap (Humorous Book, 1927), Meşhedi’nin Hikâyeleri (The Stories of Meşhedi, 1927).

MEMOIR: Dünden Hatıralar (Memories of Yesterday, 1945).

REFERENCE: Hilmi Yücebaş / Bütün Cepheleriyle Ercüment Ekrem (1957), Yusuf Ziya Ortaç / Bizim Yokuş (1966), N. Sami Özerdim / Yeni Yayınlar Dergisi (Mart 1967), Mücellidoğlu Ali Çankaya / Yeni Mülkiye Tarihi ve Mülkiyeliler (c. II, 1968), H. Fahri Ozansoy / Edebiyatçılar Çevremde (1970), Atillâ Çetin / TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (c. 11, 1995), Mehmet Behçet Yazar / Edebiyatçılar Alemi - Edebiyatımızın Unutulan Simaları (yay. haz. Mustafa Everdi, 1999), Şerif Aktaş / Büyük Türk Klasikleri (c. 12, 2004, s. 148-149), 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).