Poet, critic and writer. He was born on September 5, 1958 in Adana. He also wrote under the pen name of Özgür Emekçioğlu in local newspapers such as Sandıklı Postası and Birlik.
He completed his primary and secondary education in Ceyhan. He graduated from the Education Institute of Ankara in 1980. He worked as a teacher in various cities. He is a member of TYS, PEN Authors’ Association, the Association of Literati and Mesam. He has got one child.
Çiçek who started to write in his high school years wrote in a column of a local newspaper called Yenises that has still been publishing in Ceyhan. He met Poet Şaban Akbaba in Menemen where he went for his short term military service in 1983. Under his influence, he returned to literature. Çiçek says he writes to prove that he is alive and to provide support to a better life with his works published in various newspapers and magazines since 1986.
His first short story, Bir Tokatla (With a Slap), was published in Oluşum Magazine in 1986. His other short stories, poems and book-reviews have been published in Yeni Adana and Evrensel Newspapers and magazines such as Edebiyat Gündemi, Papirüs, Aydınca, Eşik, Yazıt, Karşı, Kıyı, Çağdaş Türk Dili, Eylül, İmece, Şiir Okulu, Sanat ve Hayat, Evrensel Kültür, Öğretmen Dünyası, İnsancıl, Kitap Gazetesi, Çalı, Beşparmak, Akköy, Berfin Bahar, Fayton Öykü, Edebiyatta Seçki, Gerçek Sanat, Sorun Polemik, Kırmızıgül, Yazın, Düşler Öyküler, Adam Öykü, Damar, Güzel Yazılar, Cumhuriyet Kitap, Radikal Kitap, Evrensel Kitap, Güncelsanat, Çinikitap, Eleştirel Pedagoji, Mesele, Sosyologca and Aykırısanat (Adana) and Agora (izmir) of which he is one of the founders. His articles on various topics have been published in SoL Newspaper and SoL book addition.
Çiçek who started working on literature with poetry quit writing poems in 1996 (although his several poems from his three poetry books are composed by Umut Akkuş and performed by Group Munzur (in their cassette named Their Fight and Ignite Nights), Ekrem Ataer (in his cassette named Marenostrum), Ferhat Tunç (The Country Of Screams), Süleyman Turan (Like Me) In 2003, he came second at the poetry competition held by the magazine Sanat And Hayat with his poetry file Yaralı Coğrafyalar Kitabı (Wounded Landscape Book) which he wrote in 1996. After quiting poetry, he headed towards writing short-story and novel. He also won awards for his works of short-stories. He won the Beşparmak Magazine Ferzan Gürel Special Jury Award with his short-story Esercan’la Sevcan’ın Hikâyesi (The Story Of Esercan and Sevcan) in 2002 and came first at Turan Altuntaş Story Competition held by Adana Authors Association with his short-story Kamalı Bekir (Bekir With A Dagger) in the same year. He refused the honorable mention given at Orhan Kemal Short-story Competition which was arranged in Adana in 2001 due to the fact that there was not such an award in the regulations of the competition. Çiçek who also won Damar Literature Achievement Award in 1999 mostly writes different and original things for children.
His Prizes:
-First Prize of Çankaya Municipality-Damar Magazine Child Novel for Şeftali Dede (The Peach Grandfather) in 1995.
-Third Prize of Kırıkkale Eğitim-Sen Child Short-story Competition for Elma Ağacı (the Apple Tree) in 1997.
-The Honorable Mention of Mevlüt Kaplan Literature Prize Child Novel for Kurtkıran (The Wolf Breaker) in 1997.
-The Prize of Damar Literature (Young Writer) Achievement in 1999.
-Beşparmak Magazine Ferzan Gürel Jury Special Prize for Esercan’la Sevcan’ın Hikâyesi (The Story Of Esercan and Sevcan) in 2002.
-First Prize of Turan Altuntaş Short-story Competition held by Adana Authors Association for his short-story Kamalı Bekir (Bekir with a Dagger) in 2002.
-Second Prize at the Poetry Competition Of Sanat And Hayat Magazine for his poetry file Yaralı Coğrafyalar Kitabı (Wounded Landscape Book) in 2003.
His Works:
POETRY:Ellerimiz Tırpandır Acıya (Our Hands are the Scythes of Pain, 1989), Süremez Daima Hükmü Acının (Pain Will not Rule Forever, 1991), Gülyaşam (Rose Life, 1993)
SHORT-STORY:Yaşamın Özge Yorumu (A Different Interpretation of Life ,1991) ,Beyaz Kısa Pantolon (Short White Pants, 1991), Kızıl Valizli Kadın (The Woman with a Red Suitcase, 2013)
NOVEL:Aykırı Sevdalar Söylencesi (The Legend of Contrary Loves, 1993), Bozkırda Patlayan Tüfek (The Rifle Shot on the Steppe, 2001), Kekliğin Son Ötüşü (The Last Singing of The Partridge, Youth Novel, 2011), Bana Güvercinleri Anlat (Tell Me Pigeons, Youth Novel, 2011), Kitap Hırsızı (The Thief Of Book, 2014), Ben/cil Metinler (Selfish Texts, 2015), Bir Hayal Satıcısı (A Dream Seller, 2016)
LETTER/ESSAY:Günışığına Mektuplar (Letters To The Daylight, 2001), Çocuk Edebiyatı Denilince (When We Say Children’s Literature, 2016), Söyleşilerim (My Causeries, 2015)
CHILDREN’S BOOKS: Şeftali Dede (The Peach Grandfather, 1995-1997-2000-2007-2016), Eşek Çalanlar Çetesiyle Savaş (War Against the Gang of Donkey Thieves, 1998, 2017), Elma Ağacı (The Apple Tree, 1998-1999-2016), Altın İkizler (Golden Twins, 1999), Kurtkıran (The Wolf Breaker, 1998-2000-2017), Güvercinler (Pigeons, 2001), Seçkin’in Masalcı Ninesi (Storyteller Grandmother of Seçkin, 2001), Seçkin’in Serüvenleri Dizisi (The Series of Seçkin’s Adventures): 1. Book: Ölümsüz Kuş (Immortal Bird), 2. Book: Masalcı Nine (Storyteller Grandmother), 3. Book: Meçhul Kurtarıcı (Unknown Rescuer), 4. Book: Kayıp Köyün İzinde (On The Track Of The Missing Village), 5. Book: Düş Ülkesi (Dream Country, 2003), Sığırcıklar (Starlings, 2009-2017)
References:
Halim Şafak / Tacim Çiçek’le Aykırısanat Üstüne (On Aykırısanat With Tacim Çiçek) (Eşik, number: 9-10, 1993), İzzet Kılıçlı / Tacim Çiçek’in Öykü Dünyası (The Story World Of Tacim Çiçek) (Damar, number: 30-31, 1993), Güzel Yapıtlar Tutkulardan Değil Kaygılardan Doğar (Good Works Arise From Worries, Not From Passions) (Damar, number: 55, 1995), Tacim Çiçek / Öykü Serüvenim (My Adventure Of Story) (Üçüncü Öyküler, Winter 1999), Bilal Kayabay / Tacim Çiçek “Külden Devlere Karşı” (Tacim Çiçek is Against The Giants From Ash) (Damar, number: 97, April 1999), M.Emre / T.Çiçek’le Söyleşi (Conversation With T. Çiçek) (Edebiyat Gündemi, number: 7 August 2000), Aydın Karataş / Yaşamın Özge Yorumu (Different interpretation of Life) -Deniz Banoğlu/Bir ‘Akız’ vardı…(There was an ‘Akız’) (Cumhuriyet Kitap, 16.11 2000), TBE Encyclopedia (2001), Ferhat İşlek / Öğretmenlikle Yazarlığı Bir Arada Sürdüren Yazar: Tacim Çiçek (The Writer Who Maintains Teaching And Writing Together: T. Çiçek)-Hasan Hüseyin Yalvaç / Şiirleriyle Tacim Çiçek (Tacim Çiçek With His Poems)-Osman Nuri Poyrazoğlu / Tacim Çiçek’in Çocuk Kitapları (The Children’s Books Of Tacim Çiçek) (Cumhuriyet Kitap, 19.4.2001), Türkiye Çocuk (number: 923, 2003), İhsan Işık / Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (The Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Authors and Men of Culture With illustrations and Sample Texts) (2007, 2009), Bilgi Teyidi (May 2017).
