Cahit Uçuk

Poet and writer (b. 1909, Thessalonica – d. 6 November 2004, İstanbul). Her family was from Diyarbakır. She was the daughter of the former Siverek Deputy, Ganizade İbrahim Vehbi Üçok of Diyarbakır who was also a district governor. She was also a relative of Bahriye Üçok who was assassinated and the politician Turhan Feyzioğlu. She changed her surname from Üçok and used her new surname in her books. She was the wife of Murtaza Sadık Kağıtçı, owner of Ece Calendars. She could not complete her education because of her father’s duties in various cities, so she received her education through private lessons. Her writing career started in 1935. Her first story was published in the review Yarım Ay (1953). Some of her stories were also published in the newspaper Cumhuriyet.

She showed a unique style of realism in her novels and short stories, which were written in a pure Turkish. She won the Hans Christian Andersen Honor Award from the Union of International Children’s Literature (1958) with her book Türk İkizleri (Turkish Twins), which was also published in the “Twins Series” in the United Kingdom (1956) and translated into many languages. She won the Writers Union of Turkey Eminent Service Award in 2001 for her work on children’s literature and memoir. She is buried in Zincirlikuyu Graveyard.

WORKS:

NOVEL: Kirazlı Pınar (The Spring With a Cherry, 1936), Dikenli Çit (The Fence with Thorns, 1937), Kırmızı Balıklar (Red Fish, 1946), Küçük Ev (The Little House, 1947), Kanlı Düğün (The Bloody Wedding, 1956), Siyah Dantelli Şemsiye (Umbrella with Black Lace, 1956), Değirmen Taşı (The Millstone, 1966), Gecenin Bu Saatinde (At This Hour of the Night, 1968), Hep Yarın (Always Tomorrow, 1968), Özlem Şarkısı (The Yearning Song, 1968), Bir İmparatorluk Çökerken (While an Empire Collapsing, 1995).

PLAY: Yaşamak İstiyoruz (We Want to Live, 1945), Gök Korsan (The Blue Bandit, 1956, performed in 1946-47 at İstanbul City Theater).

SHORT STORY: Cennet Bahçesi (The Paradise Garden, 1967), Bir Işıklı Pencere (An Illuminated Window, 1969), Kurtların Saygısı (The Respect of the Wolves, 1970), Değişen Sensin (You Are the One That Changes, 1970).

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Türk Çocuğuna Masallar (Tales for a Turkish Child, 1946), Ateş Gözlü Dev (The Giant with a Flaming Eye, 1946), Kurnaz Tilki (The Cunning Fox, 1946), Türk İkizleri (Turkish Twins, 1958).

POETRY: Benden Selam Yunusa (My Greetings to the Dolphin, 1974), Küçük Çoban Alim Kız Büyüdü (Little Wise Shepherd Girl Grew Up, 1993), Unutulmaz Gezi (The Unforgettable Journey, 1993), Kaya ile Tavşan (Kaya and the Rabbit, 1993), Kaya'nın Minik Dostları (Little Friends of Kaya), Minik Portakal ve Uçuş Böceği (The Little Orange and the Ladybird, 1994), Yalnız Ağaç (Lonesome Tree, 1995), Kara Eşek Kayboldu (The Black Donkey Was Lost, 1995), Rüzgârın Sesi (The Voice of the Wind, 1995), Fadiş, Bediş, Ediş (Fadiş, Bediş, Ediş, 5 books, 2003), Gümüş Kanat (Silver Wing, 2003).  

MEMOIR: Bir İmparatorluk Çökerken (While an Empire Collapsing, 1995), Erkekler Dünyasında Bir Kadın Yazar, Silsilenâme I (A Female Author in A Man’s World, Family Tree I, 2003), Yıllar Sadece Sayı Silsilename II (Years Are Only Numbers, Family Tree II, 2003).

All her works are being republished by Bilge Kültür Sanat (2005).  

REFERENCE: KMilliyet (9 Ocak 1970), Seyit Kemal Karaalioğlu / Resimli Türk Edebiyatçılar Sözlüğü (1982), Ömer Nida / Kadın Romancılarımız: Başlangıçtan Günümüze Kadar (1991), Şevket Beysanoğlu / Diyarbakırlı Fikir ve Sanat Adamları (c.3, 1997), Mehmet Behçet Yazar / Edebiyatçılar Âlemi- Edebiyatımızın Unutulan Simaları (1999), Behçet Necatigil / Edebiyatımızda İsimler Sözlüğü (18. Basım, 1999), Şükran Kurdakul / Şairler ve Yazarlar Sözlüğü (6. Basım, 1999), Görsel Büyük Genel Kültür Ansiklopedisi (1999),Vedat Yazıcı / Martıya Mektuplar (2000), Tanzimat’tan Bugüne Edebiyatçılar Ansiklopedisi (2001), Aslı Örnek / Türk İkizleri (Radikal Kitap, 22 Ekim 2002), Nur İçözü / Dünden Bugünden (Radikal Kitap, 10 Kasım 2002), Süleyman Arat / Ünlü Yazara ‘Sır’ Cenaze (Hürriyet 8 Kasım 2004), Attila Özkırımlı / Türk Edebiyatı Ansiklopedisi (1982), 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), Hale Kolay / Cahit Uçuk’un Özyaşam Öyküsü: Otobiyografi ve Kadın Tarihi (Yükseklisans Tezi, Ege Üniversitesi, İzmir-2009).