Lotus Prize for Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 14 (1982) Winner
Ataol Behramoğlu
アタオル・ベフラモグル
Ataol Behramoğlu
Pen Names:
Bahramoglu（Used early in his career in honor of his father）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1942-04-13 （Çatalca (Istanbul), Turkey）
- Nationality
- Turkish
- Languages
- Turkish, Russian
- Residence History
- Istanbul (birthplace) → London (1970–1972) → Paris (1970–1972, 1984–return to Turkey) → Moscow (1972–1974)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Writer, Translator
- Active Years
- 1960-
- Affiliations
- Istanbul Municipal Theatre (former dramaturge)
- Memberships
- Turkish Writers Syndicate (president 1995–1999)
- Influenced By
- Nazım Hikmet, Pablo Neruda, Louis Aragon, Yiannis Ritsos, Vladimir Mayakovsky
- Influenced
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ankara University | Faculty of Letters | Department of Russian Language and Literature | 学士 | 1962–1966 | Turkey |
| National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilisations (INALCO) / Centre for Comparative Poetry, Paris | — | Centre for Comparative Poetry | D.E.A. (修士相当) | 1984–1985 | France |
Ankara University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Russian Language and Literature
Degree:
学士
Period:
1962–1966
Year of Graduation:
1966
Country:
Turkey
Studied Russian language and literature
National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilisations (INALCO) / Centre for Comparative Poetry, Paris
Centre for Comparative Poetry
Degree:
D.E.A. (修士相当)
Period:
1984–1985
Year of Graduation:
1985
Country:
France
Received a Diplômes d’études approfondies (D.E.A.) for work on Nazım Hikmet and Vladimir Mayakovsky
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Lotus Prize for Literature | — | — | Afro-Asian Writers' Union | 受賞 |
| 2003 | The Great Prize of Poetry | — | — | Turkish International P.E.N. | 受賞 |
Lotus Prize for Literature
1982
Organization:
Afro-Asian Writers' Union
Result:
受賞
The Great Prize of Poetry
2003
Organization:
Turkish International P.E.N.
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
One Day Definitely (Bir Gün Mutlaka)
1970 Poetry collectionA poetry collection noted for synthesizing the tradition of Nazım Hikmet with elements of symbolism and surrealism.
PoliticsLongingIndividual and society
Translations
- Included in English selection 'I've Learned Some Things' (2008)
The Epic of Mustafa Suphi (Mustafa Suphi Destanı)
1979 Epic poem / staged as theatreAn epic poem about the revolutionary Mustafa Suphi; staged by Turkish exile theatre groups in Europe during the 1980s.
RevolutionHistorySacrifice and struggle
Adaptations
- [Theatre] Mustafa Suphi (stage production) (1987)
- [Theatre (Avignon)] Mustafa Suphi (Avignon performance) (1989)
Wanted: A Good Citizen (İyi Bir Yurttaş Aranıyor)
1983 Poetry / Political satire (set to music for cabaret)A collection of humorous and critical political poems; some pieces were set to music and performed as cabaret.
SatirePolitical critique
Adaptations
- [Stage (cabaret)] İyi Bir Yurttaş Aranıyor (cabaret performance) (1981)
Lozan (Lozan)
1993 Play / Documentary musicalA documentary musical commenting on events in Lausanne after the Turkish War of Independence; performed by state theatre companies.
HistoryNational identity
Bibliography
- Bir Ermeni General (1965)
- Bir Gün Mutlaka (1970)
- Yolculuk Özlem Cesaret ve Kavga Şiirleri (1974)
- Ne Yağmur... Ne Şiirler... (1976)
- Kuşatmada (1978)
- Mustafa Suphi Destanı (1979)
- İyi Bir Yurttaş Aranıyor (1983)
- Türkiye Üzgün Yurdum, Güzel Yurdum (1985)
- Kızıma Mektuplar (Letters to My Daughter) (1985)
- Şiirler 1959-1982 (Collected Poems) (1983)
- Eski Nisan (1987)
- I've Learned Some Things (English selection, 2008)
Adaptations
- Stage productions of Mustafa Suphi (exile theatre groups in Europe, Avignon)
- Cabaret performances of İyi Bir Yurttaş Aranıyor
- Lozan (documentary musical) - performed by Turkish State Theatre
Translations by Author
- Alexander Pushkin — Turkish translations of collected stories and novels
- Anton Chekhov — Turkish translations of plays
- Maxim Gorky — Turkish translations of short stories
Translations of Works
- Poetry selection 'I've Learned Some Things' (English translation by Walter Andrews, 2008)
- Selection of poems published in Greek (1981)
- Selection of poems published in Hungarian (1988)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Political and social themes expressed in both epic and lyrical modesPlainspoken, oral style influenced by Nazım HikmetExperimental elements drawing on symbolism and surrealism
- Recurring Motifs
- Exile and returnHomeland and longingPolitical struggle and solidarityLove and family (e.g., letters to his daughter)
Legacy
Regarded as one of Turkey's leading contemporary poets, he is noted for works addressing political and social themes and for serving as a cultural bridge through his translations from Russian. His exile and return led to international activity, theatre adaptations, and broad influence through translations.
Museums
- Sculpture of Behramoğlu in Şairler Sofası (Poets Park) Maçka, Istanbul (Şairler Sofası)
Academic Societies
- Turkish Writers Syndicate
- Turkish International P.E.N.
Archives
- Personal website and holdings in Turkish literary archives
In Popular Culture
- Stage adaptations and musicals (Be Happy Nazım, Lozan, etc.)
Trivia
- Part of his given name references his father's native region Goris (Ataol Gorus).
- He was detained after the 1980 coup in Turkey and later lived in exile for a period.