Sait Faik Abasıyanık

Sait Faik Abasıyanık (18 November 1906 – 11 May 1954) was a highly influential Turkish writer known for his significant contributions to short stories and poetry. Considered an important literary figure of the 1940s, he played a pivotal role in reshaping Turkish literature and introducing a unique style to short story writing. His works often depicted the lives of laborers, fishermen, children, the unemployed, and the impoverished, offering harsh yet humanistic portrayals. Sait Faik's narratives were centered around urban life, focusing on the darker aspects of Istanbul.

Born in Adapazarı on 18 November 1906, Sait Faik received his education at Istanbul Lisesi in Istanbul and later in Bursa. Although he initially enrolled in the Turcology Department of Istanbul University in 1928, his father's influence led him to study economics in Switzerland in 1930. After living in France, mainly Grenoble, from 1931 to 1935, an experience that deeply impacted his art and character, he returned to Turkey. Despite attempts to follow his father's wishes and enter the business world, he was unsuccessful, leading him to teach Turkish at the Halıcıoğlu Armenian School for Orphans.


Sait Faik began publishing his pieces in Varlık, a national periodical, and in 1936, he released his first book of short stories titled "Semaver." While the majority of his literary output comprised short stories, he also wrote a novel in 1952 called "Bir Takım Insanlar," which faced censorship due to its portrayal of the class system. Throughout his work, the ocean was a recurring theme, and he spent a considerable amount of time on Burgazada, one of the Princes' Islands in the Marmara Sea.


An honorary member of the International Mark Twain Society of St. Louis, Missouri, since 14 May 1939, Sait Faik's last stories leaned toward surrealism, influencing post-1950 writers. He passed away on 11 May 1954, in Istanbul.

Sait Faik bequeathed his wealth to the Darüşşafaka School for orphans. The Sait Faik foundation, still managed by Darüşşafaka School, maintains his Burgaz House as the Sait Faik Abasıyanık Museum. Since 1954, the foundation has awarded the annual Sait Faik Literature Prize to the best collection of short stories. The first winner of the Sait Faik Short Story prize was "Gazoz Ağacı" by Sabahattin Kudret Aksal, and it continues to be a prestigious literary prize, recognizing some of the best Turkish authors, including Pınar Kür, Tomris Uyar, Füruzan, and Nazlı Eray.

References;

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

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