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.[1] He created a brand new style in Turkish literature and brought new life to Turkish short story writing with his harsh but humanistic portrayals of labourers, fishermen, children, the unemployed, and the poor. His stories focused on the urban lifestyle and he portrayed the denizens of the darker places in Istanbul. He also explored the "...torments of the human soul and the agony of love and betrayal..."[2]

Sait Faik Abasıyanık
Born(1906-11-18)18 November 1906
Adapazarı, Ottoman Empire
Died11 May 1954(1954-05-11) (aged 47)
Istanbul, Turkey
OccupationShort story writer
NationalityTurkish

Biography
His home in Burgazada, now the Sait Faik Museum
Grave of Sait Faik Abasıyanık and his mother Makbule

Born in Adapazarı, on 18 November 1906,[3] he was educated at Istanbul Lisesi in Istanbul and then in Bursa.[4] He enrolled in the Turcology Department of Istanbul University in 1928, but under pressure from his father went to Switzerland to study economics in 1930. He left school and lived from 1931 to 1935 in France (mainly Grenoble)[4] – an experience which had a deep impact on his art and character. After returning to Turkey he taught Turkish in Halıcıoğlu Armenian School for Orphans, and tried to follow his father's wishes and go into business but was unsuccessful. At this time he also began to publish his pieces in Varlık, a national periodical.[4]

In 1936, he published his first book of short stories, Semaver. The majority of his work consisted of short stories; however, in 1952 he wrote a novel, Bir Takım Insanlar, which was censored due to its portrayal of the class system.[4] A major theme of his was always the ocean and he spent most of his time in Burgazada (one of the Princes' Islands in the Marmara Sea). He became an honorary member of the International Mark Twain Society of St. Louis, Missouri on 14 May 1939.[5] He died on 11 May 1954 in Istanbul.[4]

Sait Faik mostly published under the name Sait Faik, other pen names being Adalı ("Island dweller"), Sait Faik Adalı, and S. F..

Bibliography
Works by Sait
YearNameTranslated nameType
1936SemaverThe SamovarShort stories[4]
1939SarnıçThe CisternShort stories
1940ŞahmerdanThe Pile DriverShort stories
1944Medarı Maişet MotoruThe Boat of LivelihoodNovel
1948Lüzumsuz AdamThe Useless ManShort stories[4]
1950Mahalle KahvesiLocal Coffee ShopShort stories
1951Havada BulutCloud in the SkyShort stories
1951KumpanyaThe TroupeShort stories[4]
1952Havuz BaşıThe PoolsideShort stories
1952Son KuşlarThe Last BirdsShort stories
1953Kayıp AranıyorThe MissingNovel
1953Şimdi Sevişme VaktiNow is the Time for Making LovePoems
1954Alemdağ'da Var Bir YılanThere's a Snake at AlemdağShort stories[4]
1954Az ŞekerliJust A Little SugarShort stories
1955Tüneldeki ÇocukBoy in a TunnelShort stories
1956Mahkeme KapısıLaw CourtReportage

Legacy

Sait Faik left his wealth to the Darüşşafaka School for orphans. The Sait Faik foundation is still run by Darüşşafaka School, maintaining his Burgaz House as the Sait Faik Abasıyanık Museum and since 1954 giving the annual Sait Faik Literature Prize to the best collection of short stories. The first Sait Faik Short Story prize winner was "Gazoz Ağacı" by Sabahattin Kudret Aksal and this most prestigious literary prize has been given so far to some of the best Turkish authors including Pınar Kür, Tomris Uyar, Füruzan and Nazlı Eray.

Footnotes
  1. Evin 1999, p. 357
  2. Evin 1984, p. 478
  3. Bassett 2008, p. 52
  4. Hoiberg 1993, p. 7
  5. Arslanbenzer, Hakan. "Sait Faik Abasıyanık: Turkish flaneur". Daily Sabah.

References
  • Bassett, Jennifer (2008). The Meaning of Gifts: Stories From Turkey. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-478927-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Evin, Ahmet Ö (1999) [1971]. "Turkish Literature". In Serafin, Steven R. (ed.). Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century. 4: R-Z (3rd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: St. James Press. ISBN 1-55862-377-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Evin, Ahmet Ö (1984) [1971]. "Turkish Literature". In Klein, Leonard S. (ed.). Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century. 4: R-Z (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. ISBN 0-8044-3138-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Hoiberg, Dale H., ed. (1993). "Abasiyanık, Sait Faik". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1: A-ak Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, IL: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. ISBN 0-85229-961-3. LCCN 2002113989.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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