Prose Of The Republic Of Turkey
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Prose of the Republic of Turkey covers the "Turkish Prose" beginning with 1911 with the national literature movement. Stylistically, the prose of the early years of the Republic of Turkey was essentially a continuation of the National Literature movement, with Realism and Naturalism predominating. This trend culminated in the 1932 novel ''Yaban'' ("''The Strange''"), by Yakup Kadri KaraosmanoÄŸlu. This novel can be seen as the precursor to two trends that would soon develop:
social realism Social realism is the term used for work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structure ...
, and the "village novel" (''köy romanı''). ''
Çalıkuşu ''Çalıkuşu'', or ''The Wren'', is a novel by Reşat Nuri Güntekin written in 1922, about the destiny of a young Turkish people, Turkish female teacher named Feride. Plot summary The events in the novel take place in the early twentieth centu ...
'' ("''The Wren''") by
Reşat Nuri Güntekin Reşat Nuri Güntekin () (25 November 1889 – 7 December 1956) was a Turkish novelist, storywriter, and playwright. His best known novel, '' Çalıkuşu'' ("The Wren", 1922) is about the destiny of a young Turkish female teacher in Anatolia. Th ...
addresses a similar theme with the works of Karaosmanoğlu. Güntekin's narrative has a detailed and precise style, with a realistic tone. The social realist movement is perhaps best represented by the short-story writer
Sait Faik Abasıyanık Sait Faik Abasıyanık (18 November 1906 – 11 May 1954) was one of the greatest Turkish writers of short stories and poetry and considered an important literary figure of the 1940s. He created a brand new style in Turkish literature and brou ...
(1906–1954), whose work sensitively and realistically treats the lives of cosmopolitan Istanbul's
lower classes A social class is a grouping of people into a set of hierarchical social categories, the most common being the upper, middle and lower classes. Membership in a social class can for example be dependent on education, wealth, occupation, inco ...
and
ethnic minorities The term 'minority group' has different usages depending on the context. According to its common usage, a minority group can simply be understood in terms of demographic sizes within a population: i.e. a group in society with the least number o ...
, subjects which led to some criticism in the contemporary nationalistic atmosphere.Paskin 2005 The tradition of the "village novel", on the other hand, arose somewhat later. As its name suggests, the "village novel" deals, in a generally realistic manner, with life in the villages and small towns of Turkey. The major writers in this tradition are Kemal Tahir (1910–1973), Orhan Kemal (1914–1970), and Yaşar Kemal (1923– ). Yaşar Kemal, in particular, has earned fame outside of Turkey not only for his novels; many of which, such as 1955's ''İnce Memed'' ("''Memed, My Hawk''"), elevate local tales to the level of epic; but also for his firmly leftist political stance. In a very different tradition, but evincing a similar strong political viewpoint, was the
satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...
short-story writer
Aziz Nesin Aziz Nesin (; born Mehmet Nusret, 20 December 1915 – 6 July 1995) was a Turkish writer, humorist and the author of more than 100 books. Born in a time when Turks did not have official surnames, he had to adopt one after the Surname Law of 1 ...
(1915–1995) and
Rıfat Ilgaz Rıfat Ilgaz (7 May 1911 – 7 July 1993) was a Turkish teacher, writer and poet. Biography He was born in Cide, in the Kastamonu Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey). Ilgaz was one of Turkey’s best-known and most prolific poets ...
(1911–1993). Another novelist contemporary to, but outside of, the social realist and "village novel" traditions is
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar (23 June 1901 – 24 January 1962) was a Turkish poet, novelist, literary scholar and essayist, widely regarded as one of the most important representatives of modernism in Turkish literature. In addition to his literary and ...
(1901–1962). In addition to being an important
essay An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal a ...
ist and poet, Tanpınar wrote a number of novels; such as ''Huzur'' ("''Tranquillity''", 1949) and ''Saatleri Ayarlama Enstitüsü'' ("''The Time Regulation Institute''", 1961); which dramatize the clash between East and West in modern Turkish culture and society. Similar problems are explored by the novelist and short-story writer
Oğuz Atay Oğuz Atay (October 12, 1934 – December 13, 1977) was a pioneer of the modern novel in Turkey. His first novel, '' Tutunamayanlar'' (''The Disconnected''), appeared in 1971–72. Never reprinted in his lifetime and controversial among critics, ...
(1934–1977). Unlike Tanpınar, however, Atay—in such works as his long novel ''
Tutunamayanlar ''Tutunamayanlar'' (English: ''The Disconnected'') is the first novel of Oğuz Atay Oğuz Atay (October 12, 1934 – December 13, 1977) was a pioneer of the modern novel in Turkey. His first novel, '' Tutunamayanlar'' (''The Disconnected''), a ...
'' ("''The Disconnected''", 1971–1972) and his short story "''Beyaz Mantolu Adam''"
"Man in a White Coat"
1975)—wrote in a more
modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...
and
existentialist Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...
vein. On the other hand,
Onat Kutlar Onat Kutlar (25 January 1936 – 11 January 1995) was a prominent Turkish writer and poet, founder of the Turkish Sinematek and cofounder of the Istanbul International Film Festival. Biography Onat Kutlar was born in Alanya, Turkey, on 25 J ...
's ''Ä°shak'' ("''Isaac''", 1959), composed of nine short stories which are written mainly from a child's
point of view Point of view or Points of View may refer to: Concept and technique * Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something * Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronou ...
and are often surrealistic and mystical, represent a very early example of magic realism. The tradition of literary modernism also informs the work of novelist
Adalet Ağaoğlu Adalet Ağaoğlu (née Sümer; 23 October 1929 – 14 July 2020) was a Turkish women, Turkish Turkish women in literature, novelist and Theatre in Turkey, playwright, considered one of the foremost novelists of 20th-century Turkish literature. Sh ...
(1929–2020). Her trilogy of novels collectively entitled ''Dar Zamanlar'' ("''Tight Times''", 1973–1987), for instance, examines the changes that occurred in Turkish society between the 1930s and the 1980s in a formally and technically innovative style.
Orhan Pamuk Ferit Orhan Pamuk (born 7 June 1952) is a Turkish novelist, screenwriter, academic, and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. One of Turkey's most prominent novelists, his work has sold over thirteen million books in sixty-three lan ...
(1952– ), winner of the 2006
Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...
, is another such innovative novelist, though his works—such as 1990's ''Beyaz Kale'' ("''
The White Castle ''The White Castle'' (original Turkish title: ''Beyaz Kale'') is a novel by Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk. Plot introduction The events of this story take place in 17th century Istanbul. The story is about a young Italian scholar sailing from Venice ...
''") and ''Kara Kitap'' ("''
The Black Book Black Book, Black book or Blackbook may refer to: Film * ''Black Book'' (film), a 2006 Dutch thriller film by director Paul Verhoeven ** ''Black Book'' (soundtrack), soundtrack of the 2006 film * ''The Black Book'' (serial), a 1929 American ...
''") and 1998's ''Benim Adım Kırmızı'' ("''
My Name is Red ''My Name Is Red'' ( tr, Benim Adım Kırmızı) is a 1998 Turkish novel by writer Orhan Pamuk translated into English by Erdağ Göknar in 2001. Pamuk would later receive the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. The novel, concerning miniaturists in ...
''")—are influenced more by
postmodernism Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...
than by modernism. This is true also of
Latife Tekin Latife Tekin (born 1957) is one of the most influential Turkish female authors. Biography She was born in 1957 in the village of Karacahevenk, in the Bünyan district of Kayseri. She came to Istanbul with her family in 1966 when she was 9 year ...
(1957– ), whose first novel ''Sevgili Arsız Ölüm'' ("''Dear Shameless Death''", 1983) shows the influence not only of postmodernism, but also of magic realism.
Elif Åžafak Elif Shafak ( tr, Elif Åžafak, ; born 25 October 1971) is a Turkish-British novelist, essayist, public speaker, political scientist and activist. Shafak writes in Turkish and English, and has published 19 works. She is best known for her no ...
is the most read woman Turkish novelist.


National Literature (1911-1923)

*
Ömer Seyfettin Ömer Seyfettin (11 March 1884, Gönen – 6 March 1920, Istanbul), was a Turkish writer from the late-19th to early-20th-century, considered to be one of the greatest modern Turkish authors. His work is much praised for simplifying the Turkish ...
, short story writer (1884–1920) *
Halide Edib Adıvar Halide Edib Adıvar ( ota, خالده اديب , sometimes spelled Halidé Edib in English; 11 June 1884 – 9 January 1964) was a Turkish novelist, teacher, ultranationalist and feminist intellectual. She was best known for her novels critici ...
, novelist (1884–1964) *
Reşat Nuri Güntekin Reşat Nuri Güntekin () (25 November 1889 – 7 December 1956) was a Turkish novelist, storywriter, and playwright. His best known novel, '' Çalıkuşu'' ("The Wren", 1922) is about the destiny of a young Turkish female teacher in Anatolia. Th ...
, novelist (1889–1956) *
Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu (also rendered Yakub Kadri; ; 27 March 1889 – 13 December 1974) was a Turkish novelist, journalist, diplomat, and member of parliament.Edebiyatogretmeni.net ''Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu'' Google translated' Biograp ...
, novelist, poet, short story writer (1889–1974) *
Mehmet Fuat Köprülü Mehmet Fuat Köprülü (December 5, 1890 – June 28, 1966), also known as Köprülüzade Mehmed Fuad, was a highly influential Turkish sociologist, turkologist, scholar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republi ...
, sociologist, writer (1890–1966)


Republican Period Literature (1923- )


Novel

*
Cevat Åžakir KabaaÄŸaçlı Cevat Åžakir KabaaÄŸaçlı (17 April 1890 – 13 October 1973; born Musa Cevat Åžakir; pen-name "The Fisherman of Halicarnassus", tr, Halikarnas Balıkçısı) was a Cretan Turkish writer of novels, short-stories and essays, as well as a ke ...
, novelist (1890–1973) *
Peyami Safa Peyami Safa (April 2, 1899 – June 15, 1961) was a Turkish journalist, columnist and novelist. He came to the fore in the Turkish literature of the Republican era with his psychological works such as ''Dokuzuncu Hariciye Koğuşu'' (Ninth Ext ...
, novelist, journalist (1899–1961) *
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar (23 June 1901 – 24 January 1962) was a Turkish poet, novelist, literary scholar and essayist, widely regarded as one of the most important representatives of modernism in Turkish literature. In addition to his literary and ...
, novelist, essayist (1901–1962) *
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 EÄŸridere township (now Ardino in southern Bulgaria) of the Sanjak of Gümülcine (no ...
, novelist, poet, essayist (1907–1948) *
Kemal Tahir Kemal Tahir (March 13, 1910 – April 21, 1973) was a prominent Turkish novelist and intellectual. Tahir spent 13 years of his life imprisoned for political reasons and wrote some of his most important novels during this time. His most importan ...
, novelist (1910–1973) *
Orhan Kemal Orhan Kemal (15 September 1914 – 2 June 1970) is the pen name of Turkish novelist Mehmet Raşit Öğütçü. He is known for his realist novels that describe the life of the poor in Turkey. Biography Orhan Kemal was born in Ceyhan, Adana, ...
, novelist (1914–1970) *
Peride Celal Peride Celal Yönsel (June 10, 1916 – June 15, 2013), commonly known as Peride Celal or Peride Celâl, was a Turkish novelist and story writer. Her work has won major awards such as the Sedat Simavi Literature Award in 1977, and the Orhan Kemal ...
, novelist, short story writer (1916–2013) * Orhan Hançerlioğlu novelist (1916–1991) * Samim Kocagöz, novelist (1916–1993) * Semiha Ayverdi, novelist (1916–1993) *
Tarık Buğra Süleyman Tarık Buğra (2 September 1918 – 26 February 1994) was a Turkish journalist, novelist and short story author. He was well-known author at Republican literature in his country. He was honoured as a State Artist in 1991. Buğra is the ...
, novelist (1918–1994) *
Yusuf Atılgan Yusuf Atılgan (27 June 1921 – 9 October 1989) was a Turkish novelist and dramatist, who is best known for his novels ''Aylak Adam'' (The Loiterer) and ''Anayurt Oteli'' (Motherland Hotel). He is one of the pioneers of the modern Turkish nove ...
, novelist (1921–1989) *
Yaşar Kemal Yaşar Kemal (born Kemal Sadık Gökçeli; 6 October 1923 – 28 February 2015) was a Turkish writer and human rights activist and one of Turkey's leading writers. He received 38 awards during his lifetime and had been a candidate for the Nobel ...
, novelist, short story writer (1923–2015) * Fakir Baykurt, novelist (1929–1999) * Bilge Karasu, novelist (1930–1995) * Leyla Erbil, novelist, short story writer (1931–2013) *
Oğuz Atay Oğuz Atay (October 12, 1934 – December 13, 1977) was a pioneer of the modern novel in Turkey. His first novel, '' Tutunamayanlar'' (''The Disconnected''), appeared in 1971–72. Never reprinted in his lifetime and controversial among critics, ...
, novelist (1934–1977) *
Sevgi Soysal Sevgi Soysal (born Sevgi Yenen; September 30, 1936 – November 22, 1976) was a Turkish writer. Personal life She was born in Istanbul on September 30, 1936 as the third child of six to Mithat Yenen, an architect-civil servant, and his Germa ...
, novelist (1936–1976) *
Ahmet Altan Ahmet Hüsrev Altan (born 2 March 1950) is a Turkish journalist and author. A working journalist for more than twenty years, he has served in all stages of the profession, from being a night shift reporter to editor in chief in various newspaper ...
, novelist (1950–) *
Orhan Pamuk Ferit Orhan Pamuk (born 7 June 1952) is a Turkish novelist, screenwriter, academic, and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. One of Turkey's most prominent novelists, his work has sold over thirteen million books in sixty-three lan ...
, novelist, Nobel laureate (1952–) *
Murathan Mungan Murathan Mungan (born 21 April 1955 in Istanbul) is a Turkish author, short story writer, playwright, and poet. Biography Mungan's family originates from Mardin. His father is an Arab and mother is a Bosniak. After receiving his BA from the ...
, novelist, poet, playwright (1955–) *
Hasan Ali Toptaş Hasan Ali Toptaş (born 15 October 1958) is a prominent Turkish novelist and short story writer. His first short story book ''Bir Gülüşün Kimliği'' (The Identity of A Laugh) was published in 1987. An important Turkish scholar, Yıldız Ecevit ...
, novelist (1958–) *
Perihan MaÄŸden Perihan MaÄŸden (born 24 August 1960) is a Turkish writer. She was a columnist for the newspaper ''Taraf''. She was tried and acquitted for calling for opening the possibility of conscientious objection to mandatory military service in Turkey. ...
, novelist and columnist (1960–) *
Elif Åžafak Elif Shafak ( tr, Elif Åžafak, ; born 25 October 1971) is a Turkish-British novelist, essayist, public speaker, political scientist and activist. Shafak writes in Turkish and English, and has published 19 works. She is best known for her no ...
, novelist (1971–)


Short story

*
Memduh Şevket Esendal Mamdouh (also spelled Mamduh or Memduh, ar, ممدوح) is a masculine given name and also, a surname. People with the name include: Given name * Mamdouh Abbas, Egyptian businessman, twice Zamalek chairman *Mamdouh Bahri (born 1957), jazz guitari ...
, short story writer (1883–1952) * Kenan Hulusi Koray, short story writer (1906–1943) *
Sait Faik Abasıyanık Sait Faik Abasıyanık (18 November 1906 – 11 May 1954) was one of the greatest Turkish writers of short stories and poetry and considered an important literary figure of the 1940s. He created a brand new style in Turkish literature and brou ...
, short story writer (1906–1954) *
Haldun Taner Haldun Taner (March 16, 1915 – May 7, 1986) was a well-known Turkish playwright and short story writer. Biography He was born on March 16, 1915 in Istanbul. After graduating from the Galatasaray High School in 1935, he studied politics and ec ...
, short story writer and dramatist (1915–1986) *
Aziz Nesin Aziz Nesin (; born Mehmet Nusret, 20 December 1915 – 6 July 1995) was a Turkish writer, humorist and the author of more than 100 books. Born in a time when Turks did not have official surnames, he had to adopt one after the Surname Law of 1 ...
, short story writer and humorist (1915–1995) * Vüs`at O. Bener, short story writer and novelist (1922-2005) *
Onat Kutlar Onat Kutlar (25 January 1936 – 11 January 1995) was a prominent Turkish writer and poet, founder of the Turkish Sinematek and cofounder of the Istanbul International Film Festival. Biography Onat Kutlar was born in Alanya, Turkey, on 25 J ...
, short story writer and poet (1936-1995) *
Tomris Uyar Tomris Uyar (15 March 1941 – 4 July 2003) was a Turkish writer and translator. She was born in Istanbul, the daughter of two lawyers and granddaughter of Republican People's Party politician Süleyman Sırrı Gedik. She was educated at the B ...
, short story writer, novelist (1941–2003)


Journalism

*
Falih Rıfkı Atay Falih Rıfkı Atay (1894– 20 March 1971) was a Turkish journalist, writer and politician between 1923 and 1950. Biography Falih Rıfkı was the son of Halil Hilmi Efendi, an imam. He was educated in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire. Falih began his ...
, journalist (1894–1971) *
Peyami Safa Peyami Safa (April 2, 1899 – June 15, 1961) was a Turkish journalist, columnist and novelist. He came to the fore in the Turkish literature of the Republican era with his psychological works such as ''Dokuzuncu Hariciye Koğuşu'' (Ninth Ext ...
, journalist and novelist (1899–1961)


Essay

* Suut Kemal Yetkin, essayist (1903–1980) *
Kemal Bilbaşar Kemal Bilbaşar (born 1910, Çanakkale – 21 January 1983, Istanbul), was a Turkish writer. Biography He was born in Çanakkale. His father is Hüsnü Naim Efendi, a police chief commissioner from the Caucasus, and his mother is Nuriye Han ...
, essayist (1910–1983) *
Cemil Meriç Hüseyin Cemil Meriç (December 12, 1916 – June 13, 1987) was a Turkish writer and translator who wrote various articles in social sciences and contributed to Turkish literature with his twelve books in the twentieth century. Early life He ...
, essayist (1916–1987) *
Ruşen Eşref Ünaydın Ruşen Eşref Ünaydın (1892–1959) was a Turkish linguist, politician, journalist, diplomat, writer and author. He was a member of the commission involved in introducing the modern Turkish alphabet. he was appointed ambassador to Albania (19 ...
, essayist (1892–1959) *
Nurullah Ataç Nurullah Ataç (21 August 1898 – 17 May 1957) was a Turkish writer, poet and literary critic. Life He was born on 21 August 1898 in Istanbul, then the capital of the Ottoman Empire. He studied in the Galatasaray High School and the Faculty of ...
, essayist (1898–1957)


Drama

*
Behçet Necatigil Behçet Necatigil (16 April 1916 – 13 December 1979) was a leading Turkish author, poet and translator. Biography Behçet was born in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire, in 1916. He graduated from the Teachers' High School ( tr, Ä°stanbul Yüksek ...
, dramatist (1916–1979) *
Necati Cumalı 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 to a Turkish family and his family had settled in Urla near İzmir in the framework of the 1 ...
, dramatist (1921- ) * Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, dramatist (1901–1967) *
Şevket Süreyya Aydemir Şevket Süreyya Aydemir (1897–25 March 1976) was a Turkish writer, intellectual, economist, historian, and one of the founders, publisher and a key theorist of ''Kadro'' ("Cadre"). ''Kadro'' was an influential left-wing political journal publi ...
, biographer (1897–1974)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prose Of The Republic Of Turkey Turkish literature