Gürsel Korat

Gürsel Korat's literary approach has been shaped by literary giants from all over the world, but to understand him as a Turkish author, we must first learn about his idols in Turkish literature, whose influences are seen throughout his work. Korat would read his father's humor magazines as a child and was particularly drawn to Aziz Nesin's writing. Nesin was known to have lived a tragic life, but his writing itself was far from tragic. He would combine harsh truths with humorous elements creating a hybridity which astounded young Korat. Nesin’s ability to confront tragedy with wit had a profound impact on him, sparking his initial interest in storytelling. Korat’s exploration of Turkish literature deepened with Sabahattin Ali, whose realism in Kağnı introduced Korat to the power of narrative detail. Korat came to view Ali as the pioneer of narrative shift in Turkish literature, moving beyond the mere creation of picturesque village imagery. Later with the gallery scene in Madonna with the Fur Coat, his unmatched narration would prove Ali capable of depicting both the countryside and cityscapes while his vivid characters enriched the stories even more. Korat was inspired to refine his own approach to storytelling through him. The epic narratives of Nazım Hikmet, though rooted in poetry, played a crucial role in shaping Korat’s novels. His narration, language and approach employed in his Bedreddin poems shaped the form of all the novels Korat has written about Cappadocia. The author is fond of his characters and his heroes but also takes into consideration the conditions and societal rules they’re surrounded by. Whatever that society demands of his heroes, the writer makes sure to use while conducting his stories. Yaşar Kemal’s influence is seen in Korat’s deep understanding of regional language and its role in capturing the essence of geography. Through Kemal’s lens, Korat has transformed Cappadocia into a cultural treasure, with language as the key to unlocking its rich history and significance. In Korat’s hands, these influences coalesce into a body of work that not only pays homage to his literary predecessors but also carves out a distinct voice that speaks to the universal human experience.

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1960'ta Kayseri’de doğdu. 12 Eylül’deki çalkantılı dönemden sonra yüksek öğrenimini Ankara Üniversitesi'nde tamamladı. Yarın dergisinde yazılar yazdı (1982) Edebiyat Dostları (1987) ve Edebiyat ve Eleştiri (1992) dergileri çevresinde yer aldı. 1987’de film, senaryo ve dizi işleriyle başlayan çalışma yaşamını 1993-1999 yılları arasında dersanelerde felsefe öğretmeni olarak sürdürdü, 2004 yılına kadar çeşitli gazetelerde ve dergilerde serbest gazetecilik yaptı. Marmara Üniversitesi Güzel Sanatlar Fakültesi’nde dersler vererek başlayan akademi yaşamı 2005’te Gazi Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi’nde sürdü. Bu arada Kapadokya Üniversitesi’nde, Kadir Has Üniversitesi’nde ve TEDU’da dersler verdi. 2018’den beri ise Gazi Üniversitesi’nin bölünmesinden sonra adı değişen İletişim Fakültesi’nde, yani Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli Üniversitesi’nde öğretim yaşamını sürdürdü. Halen aynı görevdedir. Bazı film ve dizi film projelerinde senarist olarak da çalışan yazarın pek çok dergi, gazete ve ortak kitapta yayımlanmış yazıları, makaleleri ve denemeleri vardır. ÖDÜLLERİ Kalenderiye ile "Notre Dame de Sion Edebiyat Ödülü"nü (2009), Yine Doğdu Tanyıldızı ile “Ankara Üniversitesi Roman Ödülü”nü (2015) ve Unutkan Ayna ile de “Orhan Kemal Roman Armağanı”nı (2017) aldı. ROMANLARI Zaman Yeli (Kapadokya Dörtlüsü I-1995) Ay Şarkısı (1998) Güvercine Ağıt (Kapadokya Dörtlüsü II-1999) Kalenderiye (Kapadokya Dörtlüsü III - 2008) Rüya Körü (2010) Yine Doğdu Tanyıldızı (2014) Unutkan Ayna (2016) Uyku Ülkesi (2022) ÖYKÜ KİTAPLARI Çizgili Sarı Defter (1996)Gölgenin Canı (2004) Bu iki kitap Dalgın Dağlar adıyla tek kitapta birleştirildi (2017). DENEME Kristal Bahçe (2003) Deniz Göründü (2022) İNCELEME Sokakların Ölümü (1997) Taş Kapıdan Taçkapıya: Kapadokya (2003) Dil Edebiyat ve İletişim (2008) Kurmacanın Yapısı (2022) ÇOCUK KİTAPLARI Pofkuyruk (2012) Bir Ayı Ne İster? (2016) Kunday-Gölgeler Çağı (2017) Yün Sultan ve Yedi İbiş (2019) Ayaşan-Kem Gözler Çağı, (2021) Gözlüklü Karga (2021) TİYATRO OYUNLARI VE SENARYOLAR Yol Ayrımları (Oyun, 2006) 1984 (Oyun, George Orwell Uyarlaması) Yedi Kocalı Hürmüz (Senaryo, 2009) Yönetmen Ezel Akay.

Gürsel Korat, a writer of short stories, plays, scenarios, and journal articles as well as a novelist, is best known for the interest in the troubled times of Central Anatolia. He is often called “the writer of Cappadocia” since the historical city is one of the central settings in his novels. The tragic stories of multi-ethnic and multireligious Anatolia before the rise of the Ottoman Empire exhibit his deep love and knowledge of the region and the period as well as his ironic sense of humor. Korat’s novels of ancient Turkey allow readers the possibility of apprehending the region’s history with a profound cosmopolitan appreciation instead of a nationalistic and militaristic perspective. He conveys the richness and complexity of Central Anatolia and deals with the struggles of different peoples and both sexes for recognition in a world dominated by brutality. In Korat’s literature, a discussion of themes such as Sufism, religion, worldly wisdom, love, envy, time and death is visible. He owes his reputation in contemporary Turkish literature to this rare mixture and his linguistic experimentations searching for the nuances of medieval dialects. Korat’s interest in pre-modern Anatolia and Byzantium Istanbul not only provides a colorful panorama of a relatively uncharted territory in contemporary Turkish fiction, but also invites a discussion of several modern concepts such as diversity, cosmopolitanism etc. Utilizing the quasi-medieval society ruled over by warrior elites, Korat introduces universal questions pertinent to all humanity. Even when discussing historical or political themes, he opens a psychological dimension to present the inner complexities of his personas, and elaborates on their conflicts by showing their fight with themselves and also with the ethical norms of the society. Maladies portrayed by Korat have their roots in the human nature, and his works exhibit a coherent awareness on conscience. The Orhan Kemal Novel Award has been the most prestigious literary award in Turkey. He won this award with his novel, The Forgetful Mirror in 2017. According to jury, Korat have won this award because “in the midst of the First World War, at the time of Armenians deportation, the Forgetful Mirror combines the local people’s association with the political authority and human affairs such as love, solidarity and friendship by a masterful fiction. As well, this novel sends many warnings about the period we live in Turkey.” You can find his work in the following lists: BOOKS: Zaman Yeli (Novel, 1995); Ay Şarkısı (Novel, 1998); Güvercine Ağıt (Novel, 1999); Taş Kapıdan Taçkapıya: Kapadokya (Research, 2003); Kristal Bahçe (Essay, 2003); Kalenderiye (Novel, 2008 This novel took the Notre Dame de Sion Literature Award in 2009) ); Rüya Körü (Novel, 2010); Yine Doğdu Tanyıldızı (Novel, 2014 This novel took the Ankara University Literature Award in 2015); Unutkan Ayna (Novel, 2016, Orhan Kemal’s Novel Prize in 2017); Dalgın Dağlar (Stories 2016) Kunday: Gölgeler Çağı ( Youth Novel,2017). Shortened and updated by permission, from “Gürsel Korat”, DLB: Dictionary of Literary Biography 379, Eds.: Burcu Alkan and Çimen Günay-Erkol, Gale, 2017: 194-204.

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