Novelist
(b. 29 March 1921 - d. 21 January 2003). His father was Muallim Ömer Nazım Beğ,
the son of Gümüşgerdanoğlu Mü'min Hasan Efendi. His mother Süreyya Hanım was a
poet. His play titled Çeteler (Mobs)
was staged at Adana People’s House in 1949. The play was widely appreciated;
however, he was deported from the House. Therefore, he established the Adana
City Theater, where many plays including Taşkınlar
Lokali, Melekler ve Şeytanlar
were staged. He left the theater after his play Cephe Gerisi (Behind the Front), depicting the national up rise,
was staged.
After moving to Adana, his theater in İstanbul was closed
down due to economical problems. He began to work as a journalist in Yeni İstanbul in 1956, where he served
as a reporter and secretary until
He
had economical problems after his house in Kanlıca was seized. He had to work
as a teacher and write even more to earn his living. Writer of important works
for amendments to the Turkish educational system, Ersen was never awarded but
was dismissed on 29 March 1956 (Menderes period). Now living only on writing,
he published his novels one after another. He spent the last 10 years of his
life at a rest house on his own, no one cared fro him and when he died all he
had was 10 million Turkish liras, the news was spread one month later. Some of
his works have been recommended by the Ministry of Naitonal Educaiton. His
first novel Aşkın Gözyaşları (Tears
of Love) and his book Mefkureci Öğretmen
(Idealist Teacher) was not published.
WORKS:
NOVEL:
Günahkâr Sokaklar (Sinful Streets,
1944), Melekler ve Şeytanlar (Angels
and Evils), Annesini Kurtaran Kahraman
Çocuk (The Hero Kid Who Saved His Mother), Vefasız (Unfaithful),
Mektup (Letter), Osman Gazi
(Osman Gazi), Orhan Gazi (Orhan Gazi), Selahaddini Eyyubi ve Murad Hüdavendigâr (Selahaddini
Eyyubi and Murad Hüdavendigâr), Fatih
Sultan Mehmet (Fatih Sultan Mehmet),
Battal Gazi (Battal Gazi), Kızıl
Zindanlar (Red Dungeons, 1967), Kara
Zindanlar (Black Dungeons, 1970), Zindanlar
(Dungeons, 1971), Başbuğ (Leader), Fadime (Fadime), Hürriyet Mücadelesi (Struggle for Independence), Beyaz İhtilal (White Revolution), Boğata ve Hepimizin Kavgası (Boğata
and the Fight of All of Us).
THOUGHT: Gün
Doğarken (As the Sun Rises, 1954), Benim
Üniversitem (My University).
POETRY:
Fakirler (The Poors, 1945), Mektup (Letter, 1945), Sefiller (The Miserables, 1945).
PLAY:
Çeteler (Mobs), Cephe Gerisi (Behind the Front, tradegy, 5 acts), Taşkınlar Lokali (Café of the Crazy, 3
acts).
