Attilâ İlhan (June 15, 1925 – October 10,2005) was a Turkish poet , novelist, essayist, journalist and reviewer.
Early life
Attilâ İlhan was born in Menemen province in İzmir, Turkey. He studied most of his primary and junior high school education in İzmir. However, because of his father's job, he completed his junior high school education in different cities. In his 16 in İzmir Atatürk High School, he got into trouble for sending a poem by Nazım Hikmet, a famous dissident communist Turkish poet, to a girl he was in love with. He was arrested and taken into custody for three weeks. He was also dismissed from school and jailed for two months. After imprisonment period, he didn't have a permission to go any schools in Turkey. He had to interrupt his education.
In 1941, with the court decision, he got education permission again and went to İstanbul Işık High School. At the last year of his high school education, his uncle sent one of his poems to CHP Poetry Competition without telling Attilâ. The poem, Cebbaroğlu Mehemmed won the second prize among many poems which were also written by famous poets. He gratuated from high school in 1942 and entered in law school of İstanbul University. However, he left his law education in the middle and published his first poetry book, Duvar (The Wall) with his self endeavours.
Years in Paris
At the second year in İstanbul University, he went to Paris in order to take part in supporting Nazım Hikmet. He was very active in this supporting activity.
Attilâ İlhan had observed French public and culture and these observations influenced many of his works and fictional characters. After returning to Turkey, he got into trouble with police many times. Interrogations in Sansaryan Han influenced his works based on death, thriller, etc.
İstanbul - Paris - İzmir Triangle
He went to Paris back again in 1951, because of an official investigation about an article in Gerçek newspaper. In this period he learned speaking French and Marxism philosophy. In 1950s Attilâ İlhan spent his days in İstanbul - Paris - İzmir triangle and in this period he started to be popular in Turkey. After returning to Turkey, he continued studying in law school. However, last year in law school, he left university and started his journalist career. His relationship with cinema also started in this year. He began writing reviews and critics about cinema, movies, etc. in Vatan newspaper.
Versatility in Art
After military service in Erzurum in 1957, he returned to İstanbul and concentrated on his workings about cinema. He wrote screenplays of nearly 15 movies with using the nickname Ali Kaptanoğlu. However, cinema didn't meet his expectations and he went to Paric back in 1960. In this period, he analyzed development of socialism and televisions. Unexpected death of his father caused his return to hometown, İzmir. In his eight-year period in İzmir, he was the editorial writer and editor in chief in Democratic İzmir newspaper. In the same years, he also wrote poetry books, Yasak Sevişmek and Bıçağın Ucu of Aynanın İçindekiler series. He got married in 1968 and were married for 15 years.
His political views
In his late life he appeared on television programs where he discussed literary and social issues. Although he was a devoted communist, he never espoused Stalinism and he always took a nationalistic point of view in communism. He was also an intellectual figure in Turkey where his nationalist ideas influenced masses. He had always questioned the imitative intellectualism which dominated the cultural and political life of Turkey.
Death
He was the brother of famous Turkish actress Çolpan İlhan, wife of the late Sadri Alışık, himself a famous actor. He died of a heart-attack in İstanbul.
List of works
Poems
- Duvar (wall)
- Sisler Bulvarı
- Yağmur Kaçağı
- Ben Sana Mecburum
- Bela Çiçeği (trouble flower)
- Yasak Sevişmek
- Tutuklunun Günlüğü (prisoner's diary)
- Böyle Bir Sevmek
- Elde Var Hüzün
- Korkunun Krallığı (kingdom of fear)
- Ayrılık Sevdaya Dahil
Novels
- Sokaktaki Adam
- Zenciler Birbirine Benzemez
- Kurtlar Sofrası
- Bıçağın Ucu
- Sırtlan Payı
- Yaraya Tuz Basmak
- Dersaadet'te Sabah Ezanları
- O Karanlıkta Biz
- Fena Halde Leman
- Haco Hanım Vay
- Allah'ın Süngüleri "Reis Paşa"
Essays
- Abbas Yolcu
- Yanlış Kadınlar Yanlış Erkekler
- Hangi Sol
- Hangi Sağ
- Hangi Batı
- Hangi Seks
- Hangi Atatürk
- Hangi Edebiyat
- Hangi Laiklik
- Hangi Küreselleşme
- Gerçekçilik Savaşı
- İkinci Yeni Savaşı
- Faşizmin Ayak Sesleri
- Batının Deli Gömleği
- Sağım Solum Sobe
- Ulusal Kültür Savaşı
- Sosyalizm Asıl Şimdi
- Aydınlar Savaşı
- Kadınlar Savaşı
- Bir Sap Kırmızı Karanfil
- Ufkun Arkasını Görebilmek
Short stories
- Yengecin Kıskacı
Translations
- Kanton'da İsyan (Malraux)
- Umut (Malraux)
- Basel'in Çanları (Aragon)
References
- "Ecevit and Can Yucel Used to Make Fun of Me" by Rahime Sezgin (1 November 2005), Zaman Daily Newspaper
- "Turkish Author Attila Ilhan Passes Away", turkishpress.com