AKALIN, Nazir

Poet and writer (b. 1 February 1964, Erzurum - d. 12. December 2002, Ankara). He attended Aziziye Primary School (1977) and Erzurum Commercial High School (1983) and graduated from Atatürk University Faculty of Literature (1991). He obtained two master degrees; both in Eastern Languages and Literature at Atatürk University (1991-94) and Kırıkkale University New Turkish Literature (1994-97) programs. His first thesis was “Nizâmîyi Gencevî'nin Hayatı, Edebî Kişiliği, Eserleri ve Leylî u Mecnûn Mesnevisinin Tahkiye Unsurları Açısından Tahlili” (The Life, Literature and Works of Nizâmîyi Gencevî, Analyzing his mesnevi* Leylî and Mecnûn). His second thesis was “Nâmık Kemâl'in Edebî Tenkitleri ve Dayanakları” (Literary Criticisms of Nâmık Kemâl and Reasons). He worked as a research assistant at Kırıkkale University for four years. Akalın, who started working as a journalist in 1983, was put on trial as a result of one of his articles in 1985. He was unemployed after he was made redundant during the 28th February period. He felt depressed, as he remained unemployed for a long period of time. He died at the age of thirty-eight, in the most productive period of his life, at a train accident on a day that had begun with stress. He was a member of Writers Union of Türkiye.

He published his articles, poems and the translations from Eastern and Western literature in Sağduyu and Gündüz newspapers and in reviews such as Palandöken (Board of Editors, 1992), Dergâh Edebiyat Ortamı Güneysu, Hazan, Hece, İkindi Yazıları, Karçiçeği, Kardelen, Kültür Edebiyat, Mavera, Merdiven, Tohum, Türkiyat Araştırmaları, Ayane, Bilıg, Çınar, Düşçınarı, İnsan Saatı, Ipek Dili, İslâmî Edebiyat, Izdüşüm, Kafdağı, Kalem ve Onur, Kırağı, Kültür Dünyası, Türk Edebiyatı, Vahdet, Varide, Yalnız Ardıç, Yeni Sıla and Yenişehir Sanat. He prepared the culture and art pages for Milletin Sesi newspaper in Erzurum in 1989 and the art pages of Hürsöz newspaper in 1990. He published Karçiçeği review in 1991 with his friends and worked as the general director of publication of this review. He was a member of board of editors of Palandöken review, which started publication in 1992. He edited the culture and art pages for Anadolu Hakimiyet newspaper in 1993. His poems were featured in anthologies. He also translated works of Sadi, Hafız, and Mevlana. He spoke Persian, Arabic, German and English. Hasan Enes set six of his poems to original music in 1999, and they were recorded in the album Yürür Dağlar (Mountains Walk).

WORKS:

POETRY: Gerilla Türküleri (Guerrilla Songs, 1993), Kanayan Simya (Bleeding Alchemy, 1998).

CRITICISM: Şairin Eldivenleri (Gloves of the Poet, 2003).

RESEARCH: Sadullah Paşa yahut Mezardan Nida (Sadullah Paşa or a Cry from the Grave, 2003).