Necati Cumalı (13 January 1921 – 10 January 2001) was a
Turkish writer of novels, short-stories, essays and poetry. He was born in
Florina, Greece
Florina ( el, Φλώρινα, ''Flórina''; known also by some alternative names) is a town and municipality in the mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'.
The town of Florina is the capital of the ...
to a
Turkish family and his family had settled in
Urla near
İzmir
İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban aggl ...
in the framework of the 1923 agreement for the
population exchange between Greece and Turkey
The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey ( el, Ἡ Ἀνταλλαγή, I Antallagí, ota, مبادله, Mübâdele, tr, Mübadele) stemmed from the "Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations" signed at ...
.
Biography
He grew up in Urla and did his studies in İzmir and he started his law education at İstanbul University then completed it in the Law School of the
University of Ankara
Ankara University ( tr, Ankara Üniversitesi) is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the formation of the republic in 1923.
The university has 40 vocat ...
. He started writing poetry while he was still a student and his poems were published as of early 1940s in such prominent
Turkish literary periodicals as Varlık and Servet-i Fünun. Toward the end of that decade, while he was doing his military service, he also started writing short stories in which the profound influence of another important Turkish writer,
Sabahattin Ali
Sabahattin Ali (25 February 1907 – 2 April 1948) was a Turkish novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist.
Early life
He was born in 1907 in Eğridere township (now Ardino in southern Bulgaria) of the Sanjak of Gümülcine (n ...
, could be felt. This, and the themes of social consciousness obvious in his works could be the reason for which he was sometimes cited in the same title as other "writers of the
left", although he never actively engaged in political issues.
His vivid portrayal of women in his works was particularly noted.
Author of about 15 books of poetry, and that many books of short-stories and novels, as well as plays, Necati Cumalı died of
liver cancer on 10 January 2001 in
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
three days before his 80th birthday.
His valuable collection of books was donated to
Koç University
Koç University ( tr, Koç Üniversitesi) is a non-profit private university in Istanbul, Turkey. It started education in temporary buildings in İstinye in 1993, and moved to its current Rumelifeneri campus near Sarıyer in 2000. Koç University ...
after his death.
In 2002 a
sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...
of Necati Cumali by the sculptor
Gürdal Duyar was erected in the
Şairler Sofası Park, a park in the
Vişnezade
Vişnezade is a neighborhood in İstanbul, Turkey. ''Vişne'' means "sour cherry" and the neighborhood is named after İzzeti Mehmet Efendi (1629-1681) an Ottoman statesman nicknamed ''Vişnezade'' who was known to cultivate sour cherry in the pla ...
neighborhood of
Beşiktaş,
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
.
Works
One of his best known works is the short-novel, "Dry Summer" (''Susuz Yaz''), adapted by the film director
Metin Erksan
İsmail Metin Erksan (1 January 1929 – 4 August 2012) was a Turkish film director and art historian.
Biography
Erksan was born in Çanakkale. Following his graduation from Pertevniyal High School in Istanbul, he studied art history at Is ...
to
cinema in 1964, starring
Hülya Koçyiğit
Hülya Koçyiğit (born 12 December 1947) is a Turkish actress. A prominent female lead in the Turkish cinema, she received numerous awards at international film festivals, including the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival. Altogether, she has ...
and
Erol Taş
Erol Taş (28 February 1928 – 8 November 1998) was a Turkish film actor. He appeared in 220 films between 1957 and 1998. He starred in the 1964 film '' Susuz Yaz'', which won the Golden Bear at the 14th Berlin International Film Festival. ...
, and which won the
Golden Bear
The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin.
History
The win ...
award in
Berlin Film Festival that year.
Another famous novel by Necati Cumalı is "Devastated Hills:
Macedonia 1900" (''Viran Dağlar: Makedonya 1900''), where he relates the history of his own family which descended from a long line of
Turkish Bey
Bey ( ota, بك, beğ, script=Arab, tr, bey, az, bəy, tk, beg, uz, бек, kz, би/бек, tt-Cyrl, бәк, translit=bäk, cjs, пий/пек, sq, beu/bej, sh, beg, fa, بیگ, beyg/, tg, бек, ar, بك, bak, gr, μπέης) is ...
s (''Cuma Beyleri'', "the Beys of Djuma"), with the turmoil in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
providing the background. This novel has been adapted (not very faithfully) for the television by
Michel Favart in 2001 as a multinational
ARTE
Arte (; (), sometimes stylized in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture.
It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, plu ...
production under the title "Le dernier Seigneur des Balkans".
His poetry was translated into French by Tahsin Saraç.
German Translations:Ö
''Der Mann aus Akhisar'', Kitab-Verlag Klagenfurt, 2007
''Des Balkans letzter Bey'' (Viran Daglar), Kitab-Verlag Klagenfurt, 2009
Bibliography
* ''Sea rose: a play in three acts'', Ankara: Ministry of Culture, 1991. ,
*''Çalıkuşu; oyun 3 bölüm, Reşat Nuri Güntekin'in romanından oyunlaştıran Necati Cumali.'' İstanbul, İnkılâp ve Aka Kitabevleri, 1963.
*''Yalnız kadın: hikâyeler'', İstanbul: Sander Yayınları, 1976.
*''Aşk da gezer: roman'', İstanbul: Çağdaş Yayınları, 1998. ,
*''Ay büyürken uyuyamam'', İstanbul: Cumhuriyet, 2004. ,
Gallery
File:Necati Cumalı Anı ve Kültür Evi 20220325.jpg, Necati Cumalı Memorial House located in Urla / İzmir
İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban aggl ...
File:Necati Cumalı Anı ve Kültür Evi 2 20220325.jpg, Front of the Necati Cumalı Memorial House
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cumali, Necati
1921 births
2001 deaths
People from Florina
Macedonian Turks
Turkish novelists
Turkish poets
Ankara University Faculty of Law alumni
Deaths from cancer in Turkey
Deaths from liver cancer
20th-century poets
20th-century novelists
Burials at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery
Greek emigrants to Turkey