About the Faır

2024 | Tuyap 41. International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
YALVAÇ URAL
 
The Honorary Author of the 41st International Istanbul Book Fair, which will be held in 2024, is Yalvaç Ural, journalist, writer and author of important works in the field of children's literature.
 
After high school, Yalvaç Ural chose journalism as a profession and started to work as an editor at Milliyet Newspaper. Throughout his journalism career, he worked in many different publishing houses and newspapers. He published 25 children's magazines in 23 years and contributed to Turkish magazines published abroad. His story "Little Hunters of the Pond" was translated into English and included in the book "Four Turkish Storytellers" prepared by Oxford University Press for secondary school children in 1996. The first edition of Yalvaç Ural's book "The Heart of the Railing", prepared by Feridun Oral, was published in German in Austria. The book, which went through two editions within a year, became one of the best-selling books in 1995 in Austria's neighboring country, Germany. Yalvaç Ural's book "Magic Shoes" was published for the first time as a small book. Later, the Dutch Television "Nederlandse Omroep Stichting" liked this book very much and had "Magic Shoes" made by Yalvaç Ural as a 10-episode, computer-animated TV cartoon series. “”Magic Shoes” was also commissioned by TRT as a 27-episode cartoon by Denge Animation and was screened for two years. In addition, ‘Magic Shoes’ was sold to Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish TV channels through TRT and was released as a pirated cassette in Germany. In addition to "Magic Shoes", animated series of other Yalvaç Ural works such as "Evliya Çelebi's Travels- Az Gitti Uz Gitti" and "Tabby Teaches Punctuation Marks" were also prepared.In 1996, Yalvaç Ural's story "Children Selling Music" (Gypsy: Gili baši i violina) was published in Gypsy. This book has the distinction of being the first children's book published in Gypsy for the first time in the world. In Macedonia, it was combined with Yalvaç Ural's story "La Fonten in the Forest Court" and turned into a single book, and the book "Children Selling Music" began to be taught as an auxiliary textbook in schools in Macedonia. Yalvaç Ural, who is also famous abroad for his works in children's literature, is the 5th Annual Children's Prize in the Netherlands. He was named the "Poet of the Harmonica" and the "Champion of World Children's Poetry" at the International Children's Poetry Festival.In 2017, the Language Association Beşir Gogus Award for the Development of Turkish Language and Children's Literature was given to Yalvaç Ural's children's poetry book "Wild Ox Horned Fox".

2023 | Tüyap 40th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
PROF. DR. NERMIN ABADAN UNAT
 
The Honorary Author of the 40th Istanbul Book Fair held in 2023 is writer, translator, lawyer, sociologist, political and communication scientist Prof. Dr. Nermin Abadan Unat.
 
She graduated from Izmir Girls' High School in 1940 and then Istanbul University Faculty of Law in 1944. After working at Ulus Newspaper in Ankara for a while, Abadan Unat entered the Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University as the first female assistant, and received her doctorate in 1955 with her thesis titled "Public Opinion and Sphere of Influence". In 1958 she was appointed associate professor of political science and in 1962 professor. Nermin Abadan Unat, who founded the Chair of Political Behavior at SBF, has focused on the problems related to Turkish emigration since 1963, in addition to political sociology and mass communication, and has carried out various researches in Türkiye and abroad. She published books and articles in Turkish, German and English on this subject. The author, who is also interested in women's studies, represented Türkiye in the Commission on Equality of Women and Men of the Council of Europe between 1978 and 1999. Unat, who has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University for many years, gave part-time lectures at Boğaziçi University until 2016. Nermin Abadan Unat, who gave lectures as a guest professor at various universities in Europe and the USA, served as the second president of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) between 1967-1970 and the general president of the Turkish Social Sciences Association between 1978-1982. Abadan Unat, who served as a contingent senator in the Turkish Grand National Assembly between 1978 and 1980, was awarded the High Merit Award by the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1978, Women of Enlightenment in 1998, Fullbright Lifetime Academic Service in 2000, Kültür University's Woman with a Heart in 2004, Marmara Lifetime Achievement in 2006, the Istanbul Beşiktaş City Council Honorable Life Award in 2010, METU Great Service Award in 2011, Vehbi Koç Foundation Education Award in 2012, Bodrum Association for Supporting Contemporary Life Award in 2014, IU Women's Research Center Award in 2015, Ankara Mülkiyeliler Union Mülkiye Grand Prize in 2016.

2022 | Tuyap 39th International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
NAZLI ERAY
 
Nazlı Eray, short story writer, translator and columnist, is the Honorary Author of the 39th International Istanbul Book Fair held in 2022.
 
After studying at Arnavutköy American College for Girls and Istanbul University Faculty of Law, she worked as a translator at the Ministry of Tourism and Promotion. She worked as a columnist in various newspapers. Eray, who is one of the founders of the Writers Association, is a member of the Writers' Union of Türkiye and the International Writers' Union (PEN). In her stories, which are the products of a rich imagination, she displayed social and individual realities in a language loaded with associations, with a sarcastic and ironic narrative that extended from reality to beyond reality. Eray, who is considered one of the most prolific writers of the "fantastic realism" movement in Türkiye, states that she finds herself close to "magical realism". In 1977 and 1978, she became an Honorary Member of the University of Iowa, USA, where she taught Creative Writing. She started writing in 1959 with her story "Monsieur Hristo", which she wrote when she was still in middle school, and her first short story book "Ah Bayım Ah" was published in 1975. Many of her stories, especially "Laz Bakkal", became a cult. She won the 1988 Haldun Taner Short Story Award for her story "Karanfil Gece Kursu" and the 2002 Yunus Nadi Novel Award for her novel The Man Who Dressed Up Love. She was awarded the Best Novelist Award of the Turkish Librarians Association (2009), the Profession Award of the Rotary Club of the Capital (2010) and the first Blue Phoenix Award of the Fantasy and Science Fiction Arts Association (2014). Nazlı Eray's stories, novels and plays have been translated into many languages. Her play “Erostratus” (1977) was included in “Blood and Ink” along with Erostratus interpretations by Sartre, Montaigne, Camus, Unamuno, Pessoa and Bauer. Short films and television series have been made from her stories. The stories "Monte Cristo" and "Dream Street" were dramatized in 2005 by Italian director Angelo Savelli under the title "L'ultimo Harem" (The Last Harem) and staged in Italy and Türkiye.

2019 | Tuyap 38th International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
ADNAN ÖZYALÇINER
 
 
2019 Tüyap 38th International Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author is Adnan Özyalçıner, a great worker of literature who keeps the memory of the city in his stories about Istanbul.
 
He graduated from Istanbul Boys' High School. He studied Turcology at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters. In 1967, he married the poet Sennur Sezer. He worked as a proofreader for Cumhuriyet newspaper for more than 20 years. Between 1974 and 1989, he served as the general secretary of the Writers' Union of Türkiye. In 1981, he was appointed as the second president of YAZKO. He was the editor-in-chief of literary magazines including Yazko Edebiyat, Yazko Translation and Hürriyet Gösteri. In his first stories, he described the daily lives of poor people living in the slums of Istanbul by going into detail and focusing on spiritual analysis. Among his awards are Sur 1964 Sait Faik Story Prize; Yağma 1972 TDK Story Prize; Gözleri Bağlı Adam 1978 Sait Faik Story Prize (shared with S. Baran); “Çamlıca” interview-story 1980 Progressive Journalists Association's Successful Journalist of the Year Award; Keloğlan ile Köse 1990 Sıtkı Dost Children's Literature Award (first prize); Cambazlar Savaş Yitirdi 1991 Haldun Taner Story Award (shared with N. Ay); “Babıâli Ölüyor mu?” 1993 Journalists Association of Türkiye Türkiye Journalism Achievement Award. All of the stories he wrote for 70 years were published as a single book under the title "Collected Stories".

2018 | Tuyap 37th International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
SELİM İLERİ
 
2018 Tüyap 37th International Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author is the critic, screenwriter and author Selim İleri.
 
In 1967, his story "War Flowers" was published in New Horizons. At the age of 119, his first book of short stories, Saturday Loneliness, was published. He left his education at Istanbul University Faculty of Law in 1972. In 1973, his first novel was published under the name Destan Gönüller. In addition to his novels, İleri also attracted attention with his memoirs and studies on Turkish literature. In 1976, he received the Sait Faik Short Story Award for The Last Day of Friendships, and in 1977 he received the Turkish Language Association Novel Award for Every Night in Bodrum. Living and Dying (1981) was selected as the Novel of the Year by Milliyet Sanat magazine. His screenplay A Broken Love Story was awarded the best screenplay of the 1982-83 season by the Cinema Writers. If you were mine alone with your blue wings (1991) received the Writers' Union of Turkey Novel Award. In 1997, his play "Allahaısmarladık Cumhuriyet" received both the Afife Jale and Avni Dilligil Awards. In 1999, the Turkish Journalists' Association awarded him the Culture and Arts Award in the field of "television". In the same year, he received the Dialog Media Award for his radio work. In 2001, This Summer Will Be the First Summer of Separation was published and in 2002 it was awarded with the Orhan Kemal Novel Award. Selim İleri also received the Sedat Simavi Literature Award in 2003 for his book of essays titled Uzak, Hep Uzak, in 2005 for his book İstanbul’un Sandık Odası, the TYB's award in the field of Memoir-Travel, in 2012 he received the Aydın Doğan Award, and in 2021 he received the Erdal Öz Literature Award. In the same year, he was awarded the Presidential Culture and Art Grand Prize.

2017 | Tuyap 36th International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
AYLA KUTLU
 
The 2017 Tüyap 36th International Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author is Ayla Kutlu, one of the leading names in women's literature in the 90s.
 
Kutlu started writing when she was 35 years old. Her first stories and articles were published in Özgür İnsan magazine under the name "Aygen Berel". She completed her first novel, The Escape, in 1977. After 20 years of service in 1980, she left her public service and turned entirely to writing and published novels one after another. Kutlu, who won the Madaralı Novel Award in 1985 with her novel Bir Göçmen Kuştu O, was now separated from her husband and indexed her life to art. In this novel, she told the life story of an Ottoman intellectual with the part that was mostly reflected on women. In 1999, she published Emir Bey's Daughters, which is a sequel to her novel Bir Göçmen Kuştu O. In 1990, she received the Sait Faik Short Story Award for her work Sen de Gitme Triyandafilis. This story was adapted to the cinema under the name Sen de Gitme. In 1996, it was a great success at the Golden Orange and Golden Boll film festivals, collecting a total of 14 awards, including the Golden Boll Award for Best Screenplay, which the author herself won. Goodbye Hope and A Pale Yellow Rose are Kutlu's other works that have been filmed. Ayla Kutlu turned to children's books in the 1990s and wrote nearly twenty children's books. In the same period, she also produced works dealing with women's issues. She wrote her poem called The Odyssey of Women, one of her works that clearly reveals women's problems, in the form of a classical epic structure and running. This work was a reference to the Epic of Gilgamesh; in The Odyssey of Women, Kutlu connected the story of the woman in mythological times to her story today. In 1992, she held an official position in Turkestan, and in 1995 she was a member of the Women's Congress. In 1995, she wrote Mekruh Kadınlar Mezarlığı, which was awarded the Yunus Nadi Novel Award.

2016 | Tuyap 35th International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
İOANNA KUÇURADİ
 
In 2016, Tüyap 35th International Istanbul Book Fair's Writer of Honor was philosopher and lecturer Ioanna Kuçuradi.
 
She graduated from the Department of Philosophy at Istanbul University in 1959 and started to work in this department as an assistant to Prof. Dr. Takiyettin Mengüşoğlu. She received her doctorate in 1965 with her thesis titled "The Human Problem in Schopenhauer and Nietzsche". Between 1965 and 1968, she worked at Erzurum Atatürk University. She became an associate professor in 1970 and a professor in 1978. In 1983, she was elected to the board of directors of FISP, the International Federation of Philosophical Societies, and served as secretary general from 1988 to 1998 and president of the federation from 1998 to 2003. She is still the honorary president of this federation. In 1969, she founded the Department of Philosophy at Hacettepe University and served as the head of the department until her retirement in 2003. Since 1997, she has been the director of the Human Rights and Philosophy Application and Research Center at Maltepe University and is the head of the UNESCO chair established within this center. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Koç University. In 2015, she was given the "Senate Special Award" by METU.

2015 | Tuyap 34th International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
TAN ORAL
 
In 2015, the Honorary Author of Tüyap 34th International Istanbul Book Fair was the cartoonist Tan Oral.
 
After graduating from the Department of Architecture at Mimar Sinan University in 1963, Tan Oral became interested in cartoons, films and cartoons after practicing his profession for three years. In 1969, he became a member of the Artists' Union and in 1971 he served as its president. During this period, his cartoons were published in magazines, newspapers and trade union publications such as Ant, Yeni Gün, Yansıma and Özgür Insan. He became a member of the Cartoonists Association in 1973 and served as a member of the board of directors, secretary and president for three terms until 1979. For the first time, he began to draw daily cartoons in the newspaper Politika. For a while, he worked as a lecturer at the School of Applied Industrial Arts of Mimar Sinan University, from which he graduated, and at Eskişehir Anadolu University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Animation Arts. The artist, who has been awarded many awards such as the Dutch Deventer Cartoon Festival Golden Pen Award (2001), France St. Juste-le-Martel Best Foreign Press Illustrator Award (2002), Akşehir Nasreddin Hodja Golden Donkey Laughing Award (2003), Nokta Magazine Doruktakiler Award (2005), has been featured in various publications. In addition to the many cartoon exhibitions he opened in Türkiye, he exhibited his works in Darmstad and Munich in Germany, Rhodes and Athens in Greece and Cyprus. His cartoons are published in various magazines and daily in Cumhuriyet newspaper.

2014 | Tuyap 33rd International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
ATİLLA DORSAY
 
2014 Tüyap 33rd International Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author is Atilla Dorsay, film critic, architect, journalist and writer.
 
After graduating from the State Academy of Fine Arts in 1964 as a Master Architect, Dorsay started to write about cinema in Cumhuriyet newspaper two years later and chose this as his main profession over time. After 27 years of continuous writing for Cumhuriyet, he wrote for Milliyet and Yeni Yüzyıl newspapers. Most recently, he started writing in Sabah. He left this newspaper with a column he wrote on April 8, 2013 on the demolition of the historical Emek Cinema. He is currently working as a writer for the newspaper Yarına Bakış. Apart from cinema, he wrote articles on food culture, urbanism and life culture and published them in a book. Atilla Dorsay, who is a founding member and honorary president of İKSV executive board and SİYAD, is also interested in music. Dorsay, who has been making programs on cinema on TRT 2 since 1986, also made music programs on TRT Radio 3 for nine years from that year to 1995. Later, for a while, he took part in the weekly interview program called Yaşamdan Dakikalar, which was broadcast on ATV. The author, who has been a jury member in various festivals and competitions, is the representative of FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) in Türkiye. He also wrote a film script called Citizen Rıza, which was translated in 1979, and he closely follows not only Yeşilçam but also world cinemas. To date, he has written more than 40 books. He has received many awards such as Legion d'honneur, Palmes académiques, TDK Press Award, Istanbul, Izmir and Antalya Film Festivals Labor Awards, 2010: Golden Boll Film Festival – Lifetime Honor Award.

2013 | Tuyap 32nd International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
TANER TİMUR
 
The 2013 Tüyap 32nd International Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author is academician, historian and writer Taner Timur.
 
He graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences in 1958. He started his academic career as an assistant in the Department of Constitutional Law at Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, where he was promoted to associate professor in 1968 and professor in 1979. At the beginning of his academic years, his articles were published in Yön magazine for a while. Between 1962 and 1964, he continued his studies in Paris, where he went with a Rockefeller scholarship. He emphasized that he had an important role in the education of the atmosphere in the Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University and described himself as a "Forumist" because of the Forum magazine he followed at that time. After resigning from his post after the September 12 Coup, he continued his work in France. Timur returned to his old position in 1992 and continued to work there until his retirement in 2002. On the 150th anniversary of Mülkiye (2009), he was deemed worthy of the "Mülkiye Grand Award".

2012 | Tuyap 31st International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
GÜLTEN DAYIOĞLU
 
In 2012, Tüyap 31st International Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author was Gülten Dayıoğlu, a writer who raised three generations in Türkiye with her works.
 
After studying at Istanbul University Faculty of Law for a while, she dropped out of school. In 1958, she married lawyer Cevdet Dayıoğlu, with whom she had two sons. She took external exams and graduated from Çapa Teacher Training School and became a primary school teacher. She worked as a teacher in the villages of Silivri, Şişli Talatpaşa Primary School and Selim Sırrı Tarcan Primary School. While working as a teacher, she noticed the inadequacy of children's books. Between 1963 and 1971, she prepared small books of stories for children because her students liked the stories she told in the classroom. In 1964-1965, she participated in the Yunus Nadi Story Contest with her story "Döl" and won the second place with a difference of one vote. She adapted the first sixteen issues of Gilbert Delaheye-Marcel Marlier's illustrated children's book Martine, originally in French, into Turkish as the Ayşegül series. In 1970, her novel "Döl" was published, and in 1971, her novel Fadiş was published. The novel Fadiş, which bears traces of her own life, has become one of the children's classics in Türkiye. The novel Fadiş, which made its 100th edition in 2021, has been a book read by three generations in the country. Between 1967 and 1987, her articles on the education and training problems of children and the primary education system in Türkiye were published in Cumhuriyet and Milliyet newspapers. Dayıoğlu's novel Dünya Çocukların Olsa (If the World were for Children), which was translated into German, was included in the list of “Three Hundred Books Giving Youth Hope for Tomorrow” selected from the works of world-famous authors by the German Publishers Association in 1984. She was awarded many awards such as 1987 Turkey Family Health and Planning Koç Foundation Story Award, with the story “ Gül Gelin”, 1987 Ministry of Culture and Tourism Children's Literature Award, 1988 TRT 10th International April 23rd Children's Festival with the novel “Kaf Dağı'nın Ardına Yolculuk”, and 1990 Golden Books award.

2011 | Tuyap 30th International Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
FERİT EDGÜ
 
Ferit Edgü, Turkish storyteller, poet, novelist and essayist, was the Honorary Author of the 30th Tüyap International Istanbul Book Fair held in 2011.
 
He started his higher education at the painting department of the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts. Later, he went to Paris and continued his university life there. When he returned to Türkiye, he started writing for Mavi magazine and became known for these articles. After the magazine, he founded Ada Publications and published the works of many local and foreign writers and poets from 1976 to 1990. In many fields of literature, he produced texts that were translated into many world languages. In addition to his short stories, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, his reviews, translations and some articles on contemporary art and aesthetic problems published in Ataç, Yeni Dergi, Eylem, Papirus, Ant, Soyut, and especially in Yeni Ufuklar magazine created controversy. In all his works, he dealt with the loneliness, alienation and unhappiness of people with a fantastic expression from time to time. Based on the view that there is no "single truth", he tried to reflect the "truth" in various ways in his stories. He received the 1979 Sait Faik Award for his book "On a Ship", the 1979 Turkish Language Association Award for "Lecture Notes", and the 1988 Sedat Simavi Literature Award for "A Summer in the Shadow of September". He also has published books on artists such as Abidin Dino, Yüksel Arslan, Bedri Rahmi, Eren Eyüboğlu, Füreya, Aliye Berger, Ergin İnan.

2010 | Tüyap 29th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
DOĞAN KUBAN
 
The 2010 Tüyap 29th Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author is Turkish architect, academic and author Doğan Kuban.
 
He graduated from Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture in 1949 as a Master Architect. In 1952, he was appointed as an assistant to the Chair of Architectural History and Survey at the same institution. He worked as a translator for Paolo Verzone, who gave the first restoration course in Türkiye. In 1953, he worked as a consultant for the restoration of the Aspendos Theater, and between 1953 and 1956 he was Verzone's assistant in the research of antiquity and Christian monuments in Cappadocia and Pisidia. In 1954, as his qualification thesis, he prepared An Essay on Ottoman Baroque Architecture, which dealt with westernization in Türkiye for the first time as a problematic of architecture or art history. In 1954, he was assigned to Italy by ITU Faculty of Architecture to research Renaissance architecture and lived in Rome. After returning to Türkiye, he received the title of associate professor with his thesis titled Interior Formation in Ottoman Religious Architecture - A Comparison with the Renaissance. After leaving the Verzone Chair of Architectural History and Surveying, he took up the restoration course and many other courses as the Chair of Architectural History and Surveying. In addition to his guest lectures, Doğan Kuban has given lectures at many scientific institutions such as universities, museums and research centers in various US states, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, Canada, Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia and Singapore, starting from 1963. In 2019, he was awarded the Presidential Culture and Art Grand Prize.

2009 | Tüyap 28th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
CEVAT ÇAPAN
 
2009 Tüyap 28th Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author is Cevat Çapan, poet, playwright, translator and academic.
 
Çapan graduated from Cambridge University in 1956 with a degree in English literature. He published his first poem in Varlık magazine in 1952. He drew attention with his poems and translations published in magazines such as Dönem, Şiir Sanatı, Papirüs, Yeni Dergi, Yücel, Yeditepe, Seçilmiş Hikâyeler, Milliyet Sanat, Adam Sanat. His poems have been published abroad in France and England. In 1959 he wrote theater criticism for the Sunday Post. He prepared radio and television programs. Çapan received the 1986 Necatigil Poetry Award for his first poetry book titled "Dön Güvercin Dön". His second book of poems "Natural History" was published in 1989, his third book "The One Who Creates Love" in 1994, his poems selected from these three books and translated into French were published in France in 1996 under the title "L'hiver est fini", and his poems translated into English from these books were published in England in 2001 under the title "Where Are You Susie Petchek". He brought together the poems he wrote in recent years in the books "Ne Güzel Yolculuktu Aklımdan Çıkmaz", "Ara Sıcak", "Su Sesi" and "Son Duraktan Bir Önce". "Su Sesi" was translated by Ruth Christie and published in the UK by Arc Publications under the title "The Voice of Water". He received the Erdal Öz Literature Award and the Sedat Simavi Literature Award in 2017, the Ceyhun Atuf Kansu Poetry Award and the Metin Altıok Poetry Award in 2018, and the Yunus Nadi Poetry Award in 2021.

2008 | Tüyap 27th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
FÜRUZAN
 
Füruzan, a Turkish writer, screenwriter and director, was the Honorary Author of the 27th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 2008.
 
Her first story, Olumsuz Hikâye, was published in 1956 in the Selected Stories Magazine. From 1956 to 1958, she published her short stories in Türk Dili, Yenilik, and Pazar Postası. Defining the first period of her writing as a "youthful enthusiasm", Füruzan started to produce her main works in the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1972, she attracted attention with her stories published in Dost, Yeni Dergi and Papirus. She became famous when she won the 1972 Sait Faik Story Prize with her first book, Parasiz Yatılı. She was the first female writer to win this award. Parasiz Yatılı was followed by the story books Kuşatma and Benim Sinemalarım. Her works have been translated into various languages such as German, Italian, English, French, Bosnian, Bulgarian and Persian. In 2006, she won the Ankara Story Days Honorary Award and the 1975 TDK Novel Award with her first novel Kırk Yedi'liler, about the March 12 period.

2007 | Tüyap 26th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
METİN AND
 
In 2007, Tüyap 26th Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author was Metin And, a Turkish scientist, academic and writer.
 
He is a scientific and cultural researcher known for his research on Turkish Theater, Traditional Turkish Theater, Turkish-Islamic Depiction and Decorative Arts. He started his writing career in 1954 as a critic of literature, opera and ballet, and wrote theater criticism for Ulus newspaper for 15 years. In addition, his articles were published in magazines such as Forum, Değişim, Dost and Türk Dili. Since its establishment, he has taught at Ankara University, Faculty of Language, History and Geography, Department of Theater for more than thirty years. He became a doctor in 1969 with his thesis titled The Effect of the Political, Legal and Social Order of the Constitutional Age on Turkish Theater, an associate professor in 1975 with his thesis titled Ottoman Theater, and a professor in 1980 with his thesis titled Shadow Play in the World and Us. Metin And has received awards and decorations such as the Turkish Language Association Science Award, the Scientific Research Award of Türkiye İş Bank, the "Officier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres" of the French state, the Knighthood of the Italian Presidency, and the Service Award of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (1998).

2006 | Tüyap 25th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
DOĞAN HIZLAN
 
The Honorary Author of the 25th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 2006 is Doğan Hızlan, who is known as the "President of our Literature" and "The Count of Our Literary Country" as a writer who influenced Turkish literature, our cultural world and the public.
 
Doğan Hızlan, who published his first article in 1954, undertook the management of the art pages of many literary magazines and newspapers such as Cumhuriyet. In addition, he wrote critical articles in many newspapers and magazines. His articles, which were published in the Sunday supplement of Hürriyet newspaper, were published under the title Mirror's Gaze. In 2012, he donated 20,000 books to the library opened in his name within Antalya Atatürk Culture Park. In 2011, he received the Presidential Culture and Art Grand Award, and in 2016, he received the Mersin City Literature Honor Award. Due to his significant contributions to the field of art and literature, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 2021. He continues to write his column in Hürriyet newspaper and a literary program titled Karalama Defteri on TRT 2.

2005 | Tüyap 24th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
VÜS’AT O. BENER
 
In 2005, Tüyap 24th Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author was jurist and writer Vüs'at O. Bener.
 
He graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Law in 1957. O. Bener, who worked as a Legal Advisor and retired, won the third place with his work Dost in the short story contest organized jointly by the New York Herald Tribune newspaper and the Yeni İstanbul newspaper in 1950. Later, his poems and stories published in the magazines Seçilmiş Hikâyeler, Varlık, Yeditepe attracted attention. He combined everyday events with fragments of life accumulated in the subconscious. The author, who was constantly looking for new forms of expression, was criticized from time to time for falling into schematism, misplacing or even distorting external facts. The theme of death occupies an important place in O. Bener's works. In 1963, his work Ihlamur Ağacı was awarded the Turkish Language Association Theater Award, and in 1993, his work Siyah-Beyaz was awarded the Yunus Nadi Unpublished Story Award.

2004 | Tüyap 23rd Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
GÜLTEN AKIN
 
The Honorary Author of the 23rd Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 2004 was poet and writer Gülten Akın.
 
With the poems she started to write in the 1950s, she is a poet who is partially seen in her second new line, but since her poems in the 1970s, she has turned from individuality to sociality. Akın, who participated in the re-establishment of democratic mass organizations, took part as a founder and manager in organizations such as the Human Rights Association, People's Houses, and Language Association. Gülten Akın's poems have been published in magazines such as Hisar, Varlık, Yeditepe, and Türk Dili. Her poetry, which was enriched by being inspired by the places she visited during her stay in Anatolia and kneaded with an enthusiastic love of people, highlighted social problems and the relationship between life and people. In her 1983 book Şiiri Düzde Kuşatmak, she explains her desire to go down to the source of the people with the words, "To dialectically elevate the essence and form that exists in the people, to help the life and ways of life of the people to rise while elevating poetry."

2003 | Tüyap 22nd Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
TAHSİN YÜCEL
 
The Honorary Author of the 22nd Istanbul Book Fair held in 2003 was Tahsin Yücel, an academician, short story and novel writer, essayist and critic.
 
He came to Istanbul in 1945 after winning Galatasaray High School. During his high school years, he published Galatasaray magazine with names such as Yiğit Okur and Yıldırım Keskin. He won the Department of French Language and Literature at Istanbul University. During his university years, he worked at Varlık Publishing House. Her first book of short stories "Uçan Daireler" was published by Varlık Publishing House. In 1955, "Haney Yaşamalı" was published and this book was awarded with the 1956 Sait Faik Story Award. It was followed by "Düşlerin Ölümü”" (1958), published in 1958. This book received the Turkish Language Association Short Story Award in 1959. The following year, he published his first novel, "Mutfak Çıkmazı" In 1984, he was awarded the "Azra Erhat Translation Literature Outstanding Service Award" for all his translations. In his novels, he received the Orhan Kemal Novel Gift for "Peygamberin Son Beş Günü". With his last collection of short stories, "Komşular" (1999), he received the "World Book Magazine Copyright Book of the Year Award".

2002 | Tüyap 21st Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
İLHAN BERK
 
The Honorary Author of the 21st Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 2002 was İlhan Berk, the "terrible child of poetry", in the words of Behçet Necatigil, who knew how to keep his poetry new and fresh in every period and identified his life with poetry.
 
In 1945, he graduated from the French Department of Ankara Gazi Education Institute. He worked as a French teacher and then as a translator at Ziraat Bank. Since his first book "Istanbul", his name has come to the fore as one of the important representatives of "communitarian poetry". From 1954 onwards, he began to write poems in the Second New style, writing articles advocating this style, which he called "Pure Poetry". After the book "Galile Denizi", he became one of the most remembered poets of the Second New. With his successive books, he expanded the horizons of modernist poetry by experimenting with all the possibilities of language. The selected poems of İlhan Berk, whom Mehmet H. Doğan described as “a poet who took poetry as his constitution” and placed him in a very unique place in Turkish poetry, were translated into Spanish and French. TDK Poetry Award, Behçet Necatigil Poetry Award, Yeditepe Poetry Award, Simavi Foundation Literature Award can be given as examples of the awards he has won with his works.

2001 | Tüyap 20th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
SEMİH BALCIOGLU
 
The Honorary Author of the 20th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 2001 was Semih Balcıoğlu, who not only distinguished himself as a very important master of Turkish caricature with his poetic lines, but also had a place in contemporary world caricature.
 
He graduated from Işık High School and the State Academy of Fine Arts, Department of Graphics. He started cartooning at a young age. His first cartoon was published in 1943 in the "Young Brushes" column of Akbaba. In the same year, he met Cemal Nadir. Cemal Nadir, who is considered the pioneer of today's Turkish caricature, became an older brother, a friend and a teacher to him. He was one of the founders of the magazine "Gırgır" and made a great contribution to the development of humor magazines in Türkiye. He dealt with social and political problems with his drawings. He was one of the founders of the International Cartoonists Association. With his humorous and critical style, Balcıoğlu has gained a respectable place both in Türkiye and internationally. He opened his first cartoon exhibition on May 20, 1952 at the Maya Gallery in Istanbul. His works have been taken to cartoon museums in Tolentino, Gabrovo, Basel and Warsaw, and exhibited at the Wilhelm-Busch Cartoon Museum in Germany. His album Bye Bye Istanbul won the first place in the international comic book competition held in Pescara, Italy. In the voting organized by the Gabrovo House of Humor, he was recognized as one of the 106 illustrators of the world.

2000 | Tüyap 19th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
ŞÜKRAN KURDAKUL
 
The Honorary Author of the 19th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 2000 was Şükran Kurdakul, who has made significant contributions to Turkish literature as a poet, writer, book publisher, journal editor, and director of writers' organizations over a period of more than 60 years.
 
She stepped into the world of literature at an age that could be called a child. As a high school student, she was arrested for attempting to establish the Denizli organization of the Workers' and Peasants' Party of Türkiye. In 1947, she was freed and the trial ended with an acquittal. However, in the same year, she was expelled from the high school by the decision of the Ministry of National Education. She is one of the important representatives of the social realist movement. In her poems, she dealt with the themes of social justice, labor and human rights. Her works such as "Tomurcuk" and "Giderayak" stand out. Kurdakul, who was one of the founders of the PEN Writers' Association in 1988, is a writer who bravely expressed her  thoughts despite the political pressures of the time.

1999 | Tüyap 18th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
SERVER TANİLLİ
 
The Honorary Author of the 18th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 1999 was Server Tanilli, who contributed to our world of science and culture and our enlightenment with his identity as a responsible scientist towards his age and society and his studies in the field of civilization history.
 
Tanilli, a professor of Constitution, graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Law. He chose an academic career as a profession. He first became an assistant in Civil Law and then an associate professor in Constitutional Law, his first writings and researches related to law. Server Tanilli, who had a close relationship with literature, history and philosophy, took his first step in these fields in 1972 with the "History of Civilization" courses he gave at Şişli School of Political Sciences. The "Lecture Notes" he issued had great repercussions. He was tried for allegedly making communist propaganda and was acquitted at the end of the trial. However, he became a victim of the fascist terror of the time; He was shot and paralyzed, but continued to write. Starting from 1992, he started to publish his weekly articles in his column called "Bir Bakıma" in Cumhuriyet newspaper. Defending democratic values and freedom of thought, Tanilli is remembered for his contributions to enlightenment and education in Türkiye.

1998 | Tüyap 17th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
FETHİ NACİ
 
The Honorary Author of the 17th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 1998 was Fethi Naci, who not only distinguished himself as a critic who did not compromise on his principles, but also revealed that criticism is an indispensable part of literature.
 
He studied at Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics. His first book, İnsan Tükenmez, attracted great attention. In his own words, in this book, the author tried to apply what he learned from the French Marxists to the problems of our literature.  He founded Gerçek Publishing House. His first article was published in Erzurum newspaper in 1943, and his first writing works (poems and stories) were published in this newspaper, in Istanbul and Yedigün magazines, and in Yeşilgireson newspaper. In the late 1950s, he wrote regularly for Pazar Postası and Dost magazines; He was voted the most admired critic of 1960 in the investigation organized by Dost. Fethi Naci, who joined the Workers' Party of Türkiye in 1962, wrote articles on political issues in Vatan newspaper and Sosyal Adalet magazine. Fethi Naci, who ended his writings on political issues in 1968, made a definite return to literature when the publishing house started to publish the series "100 Soruda". Naci, who received the Sedat Simavi Foundation Literature Award in 1991, is remembered for his work in the field of criticism.

1997 | Tüyap 16th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
VEDAT GÜNYOL
 
The Honorary Author of the 16th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 1997 was Vedat Günyol, a translator, critic, publisher and writer who became the representative of Humanism and Enlightenment in our country and contributed to our modernization with the generations he raised.
 
During his higher education at the Faculty of Law, his first translations were published in Yücel magazine. While doing his doctorate at the Faculty of Law in Paris, he met Halide Edib and Adnan Adıvar; Thus began their friendship, which would last for many years.
 Vedat Günyol, who returned to Türkiye when the Second World War broke out, was appointed as the Classical Works Consultant at the Ministry of National Education's Publishing Directorate in Ankara when his three-year military service ended. In the same period, he was a member of the Translation Bureau and brought some classics into Turkish. As one of the founders of the magazine "Yeni Ufuklar", he contributed to the modernization of Turkish literature. One of the prominent works of Günyol, who draws attention with his criticisms and essays, is his book "Gölgeden Işığa", which received an award in 1989. Known for his freedom of thought and human rights advocacy, Günyol left deep traces in the literary and cultural fields. He has gained an important place in the literary world with his original style and intellectual contributions.

1996 | Tüyap 15th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
PERİDE CELAL
 
In 1996, Tüyap 15th Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author was Peride Celal, who contributed to the development of the Turkish novel.
 
After primary school, she attended the French school of Saint Pulcherie for two years. Her first guide was her mother, Mirat Hanım, an enlightened woman, and her library. Peyami Safa gave literature lessons to Peride Celal for about a month, corrected and published a few of her stories. In 1944, she went to Switzerland and worked as a secretary at Türkiye's Bern Press Attaché. Here, she had the opportunity to improve her French, as well as meeting and establishing a friendship with Türkiye's Ambassador to Bern, Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu. During these years, she sent articles and stories to the Cumhuriyet newspaper with the general title "Swiss Letters". She worked at the Press and Publication Institution for two years; from there she moved to Yeni İstanbul newspaper. During this first and last period of "actual journalism", she participated in the preparation of the "Literature Section" of the newspaper together with Azra Erhat, Vedat Günyol and Fikret Adil. She was known for her novel "Gecenin Ucundaki Işık" and this work gained an important place in Turkish literature. In her novels, she dealt with themes such as love, the inner world of women and social problems. She described the intellectuals and rich people of Istanbul with an analytical, rich observation power, in a realistic, simple and sometimes sad language. Her other notable works include "Kurtlar" and "Evli Bir Kadının Günlüğü". Celal, who draws attention with her strong character descriptions and psychological depth, has won many awards for her contributions to literature.
 

1995 | Tüyap 14th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
İLHAN SELÇUK
 
The Honorary Author of the 14th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 1995 was İlhan Selçuk, one of the most distinguished columnists of the Turkish press, who also contributed to Turkish literature with his essays, and an indomitable defender of the Republic, democracy, secularism and enlightenment.
 
Journalist and writer İlhan Selçuk graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Law. He began to practice law, but soon left his office; together with his brother Turhan Selçuk, he published the weekly humor magazines 41 Buçuk and Dolmuş; his first articles appeared in these magazines. İlhan Selçuk, who worked as a printer for a while, later published the Daily Sports newspaper; for a short time, he edited the humor page of Ulus with Semih Balcıoğlu. He started writing for the newspaper Akşam. In the same year, he moved to Tanin, and from there to Vatan. In 1962, upon the invitation of Nadir Nadi, he started to write a column in Cumhuriyet. He worked as a columnist and manager in Cumhuriyet newspaper for many years. He was recognized as a strong advocate for democracy, freedom, and secularism. Among his works, "Ziverbey Köşkü" and "Yüzbaşı Selahattin'in Romanı" stand out. Selçuk gained a wide readership by making social and political criticisms in his writings. He is known for his stance against coups and authoritarian regimes. He is remembered as one of the important figures of the Turkish press and literature with his contributions to the world of ideas and his unique style.

1994 | Tüyap 13rd Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
ADALET AĞAOĞLU
 
The Honorary Author of the 13th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 1994 was Adalet Ağaoğlu, a novelist and playwright who has a distinguished place in Turkish literature.
 
Her first writings were theater reviews in the newspaper Ulus (1946-47); her first poem is "Gölgeler". In particular, it reveals in a simple language that people who are under the pressure of psychological and social institutions have to submit to the deceptive values they live in, within the family-individual relationship. Universal themes such as fear, death, peace, male-female relationship, self-sacrifice, love, old age, youth, rebellion, freedom, etc., are intertwined with the author's current concerns, her view of the world, and social developments. She attracted attention with her first novel "Ölmeye Yatmak". Her first book of short stories is Yüksek Gerilim. She gained a wide readership with the novels "Bir Düğün Gecesi" and "Hayır" that followed. In her works, she dealt with themes such as social change, the loneliness of the individual and women's problems. The novel "Fikrimin İnce Gülü" is also one of her prominent works. Ağaoğlu, who is also successful in playwriting, has won many awards. Known for her mastery of language and expression, the author left deep traces on Turkish literature. She is remembered for her original style and bold themes.

1993 | Tüyap 12nd Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
RIFAT ILGAZ
 
In 1993, Tüyap 12th Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author was Rıfat Ilgaz, the Big Fountain of our literature.
 
He entered the literary world with poetry in the 1940s. In 1944, he was arrested for a while because of his poetry book Sınıf. In 1946, he relapsed from tuberculosis and was admitted to Istanbul Validebağ Sanatorium. However, in 1947 he was dismissed from his teaching position as well as expelled from the sanatorium, and after that date he did not teach again. He worked as a writer and editor-in-chief in the magazines published after the closure of Markopaşa humor magazine. In 1952, he published the magazine Adembaba. After working as a columnist for Yeni Gazete, Yenigün, Yeni Ulus and Cide and Bartın newspapers, he retired from Yenigün newspaper in 1974. Like many writers of the same period, his journalism, which he continued during Türkiye's most turbulent political periods, caused him to spend time in the corridors of the courthouse and in prison. He is one of the important names of the social realist movement. He gained great fame with the "Hababam Sınıfı" series and these works were adapted to the cinema. His novels "Sarı Yazma" and "Karartma Geceleri" are among his other remarkable works. Known for his humorous and critical style, Ilgaz dealt with social problems, the education system and daily life in his works. Rıfat Ilgaz, who won the "Madaralı Novel Award" and the "Orhan Kemal Novel Award", is remembered as a strong voice of humor and social criticism in Turkish literature.

1992 | Tüyap 11st Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
YAŞAR KEMAL
 
In 1992, Tüyap 11th Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author was Yaşar Kemal, our world-renowned novelist and the grandfather of our Turkish language.
 
He started his journalism career in Cumhuriyet newspaper and continued with anecdotes and reportage writing. In 1962, he joined the Workers' Party of Türkiye and served as a member of the General Executive Board, Chairman of the Propaganda Committee and Member of the Central Executive Committee.
 In 1967, he co-founded the weekly magazine Ant. In 1973, he participated in the establishment of the Writers' Union of Türkiye and assumed its first general presidency in 1974-75. Yaşar Kemal was interested in folk literature at an early age; He started playing the instrument and singing folk songs. His first novel, İnce Memed, which was serialized in Cumhuriyet in 1953-54, aroused great interest and was translated and published in about 40 languages. The combination and style that the author reached by making use of epics, lamentations, folk tales, fairy tales, folk songs and contemporary novel techniques, which are the products of the oral expression tradition of the Anatolian people, brought him to the identity of a unique contemporary artist in every respect. Yaşar Kemal was also nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature by the relevant institutions and individuals. He also contributed to contemporary Turkish theater with adaptations of his novels and stories.

1991 | Tüyap 10th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
MELİH CEVDET ANDAY
 
The Honorary Author of the 10th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 1991 was Melih Cevdet Anday, the great master of our poetry and the wise person of our world of thought.
 
Anday, who started writing poetry in high school, made his first essays with his friends Oktay Rıfat and Orhan Veli
It was featured in the wall newspaper Sesimiz; his first published poem is "Ukde". He is one of the founders of the Garip Movement. In his poems, he dealt with the banalities of daily life with humor and irony. He is known for his important works such as "Rahatı Kaçan Ağaç", "Kolları Bağlı Odysseus" and "Ölümsüzlük Ardında Gılgamış". Anday's works have been translated into many languages such as Russian, Serbian, French, English, Bulgarian, and his play Mikado’nun Çöpleri was performed in German on Bremen Radio. In the 1960s, Anday also turned to novels and plays, and his plays were based on inner experiences. The two main factors that make up the dramatic situation in all his plays are "time" and "space". Each of his plays is based on a specific dynamic of time and space. His play Insiders, which was staged in Hungary in Hungarian, attracted great attention. Aylaklar was adapted for television and shown on TRT; It was later adapted to the cinema.

1990 | Tüyap 9th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
AZİZ NESİN
 
The Honorary Author of the 9th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 1990 is Aziz Nesin, known as the New Nasrettin Hodja of the age and one of the most well-known Turkish writers worldwide.
 
After graduating from Kuleli Military High School, Nesin began writing in the 1940s and quickly became one of the most important figures in Turkish literature. Aziz Nesin, known for his humorous stories and satires, published the humor magazine Markopaşa with Sabahattin Ali. Nesin, who was repeatedly arrested by martial law for his works, was known for his humorous stories and novels until the 60s and reached a wide readership, and in 1972 he founded the Nesin Foundation. Evaluations were made that his plays such as Bişeyap Met and Biraz Gelir misiniz, which abstract time, place, people and facts, contributed to Turkish theater literature. His works such as "American imperialism and the Truman doctrine", "Aziznâme" and "Yaşar Ne Yaşar Ne Yaşamaz" stand out. Nesin, who drew attention with his political and social criticism, continued to write despite censorship and pressure. His works have been translated into many languages around the world. He is remembered for his work emphasizing issues of social inequality and injustice. “Milliyet Newspaper 6th Karacan Prize First Prize (for his play Üç Karagöz)“, ‘Lotus Asia-Africa Writers’ Association Award” and “Tolstoy Gold Award” are some of the important awards won by Aziz Nesin, who was honored with many awards, honorable mentions and medals throughout his life.

1989 | Tüyap 8th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
TURHAN SELÇUK
 
The Honorary Author of the 8th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 1989 is Turhan Selçuk, our international value, the great master of our caricature, known for his character "Abdülcanbaz".
 
He dealt with social and political issues in his cartoons. He worked for Milliyet and Cumhuriyet newspapers. He continued the comic book for many years, which received wide attention from readers; Abdülcanbaz albums were published. His cartoon "Barış ve Kitap" was used in the posters and logos of the book reading campaign launched by the Council of Europe in 1992. Selçuk, who most recently drew for Cumhuriyet newspaper, is one of the important names of Turkish caricature with his humorous and critical style.

1988 | Tüyap 7th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
NADİR NADİ
 
The Honorary Author of the 7th Tüyap Istanbul Book Fair held in 1988 is Nadir Nadi, a journalist and writer who fought with faith and resistance for the development and modernization of our press.
 
He is the son of Yunus Nadi, the founder of Cumhuriyet newspaper. While studying his secondary education at Galatasaray High School, he went to Ankara with his father upon the start of the War of Independence. He completed his education at Galatasaray High School in 1930. He graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland and returned to Türkiye. During his 63 years of journalism and 53 years of editorialism, he wrote works such as criticism, anecdotes, research-analysis, travel writings and essays. His books such as "Perde Aralığından" and "Dostum Mozart" stand out. Nadir Nadi, who has received many awards in the field of press, is known for his contributions to democratic values and freedom of the press.

1987 | Tüyap 6th Istanbul Book Fair Honorary Author
 
FAZIL HÜSNÜ DAĞLARCA
 
In 1987, Tüyap 6th Istanbul Book Fair's Honorary Author was Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca, one of the founders of our contemporary poetry.
 
Dağlarca (1914-2008) is one of the important names of modern Turkish poetry. When he was a 13-year-old secondary school student, he won the first place in a story contest organized by Yeni Adana newspaper among students. He stepped into the world of literature with his first book of poems published in 1935. In his poems, he dealt with themes such as humanity, nature and social problems. It is known for its unique language and expression. His books such as "Çocuk ve Allah", "Üç Şehitler Destanı" and "Sivaslı Karınca" stand out. To the awards he has won throughout his career; Turkish Language Association Poetry Award, International Poetry Forum Best Living Turkish Poet (USA), Struga 13th Poetry Festival Golden Wreath Award (Yugoslavia) and Presidential Culture and Arts Service Award can be given as examples.