AKÇAM, Dursun

Writer (b. 12 July 1930, Ölçek village / Ardahan / Kars - d. 19 September 2003, Ankara). He graduated from Kars-Cılavuz Village Institute (1950), Ankara Gazi Institute of Education, Department of Literature (1958). He worked as a teacher, journalist, writer and unionist. When he was the second chairman of the Teachers Union of Türkiye, he was arrested after the military coup on 12 March 1971, and was sentenced to eight years and ten months in prison. Although he was released and went on teaching, he had to leave his job for a certain period of time (1974). Upon the closedown of Demokrat newspaper, of which he was one of the founders in 1977, he went abroad due to the military coup on 12 September 1980 and returned home ten years later. He was a member of the Writers Syndicate of Türkiye, the Ankara Association of Writers and the Association in Support of Contemporary Living. He spent his last years in Ankara and Kuşadası.

His first article entitled Köyden Sesler (Voices from the Village) was published in Varlık journal in 1952. His other works were published in many newspapers and journals. Some of his books were published in Germany; Ölü Ekmeği (Death’s Bread) was translated into Russian and Bulgarian, Alaman Ocağı (The German Guild) was translated into German. He won the first rank award at the Milliyet Ali Naci Karacan Interview Competition in 1985 with his work Analarımız (Our Mothers), the Golden Orange Award at the 12th Antalya Art Festival in 1976 with his short story called Haley (Haley) and the Turkish Language Association Novel Award in 1977 with his novel called Kanlıdere'nin Kurtları (Wolves of Bloody River). He was sentenced to ten years in prison in 1983 due to his work Alaman Ocağı (The German Guild) and was released in 1993. The lawsuits filed against him because of his newspaper articles resulted in acquittal.

WORKS:

SHORT STORY: Maral (Asian Elk, 1964), Ölü Ekmeği (Death’s Bread, 1969), Taş Çorbası (Stone Soup, 1970), Köyden İndim Şehire (I Came to the City from the Village, 1973), Haley (Haley, 1975), Kafkas Kızı (Caucasian Girl, 1978), Sevdam Ürktü (My Love is Frightened, 1992), Generaller Birleşin (Generals Unite, 1997).

NOVEL: Kanlı Derenin Kurtları (Wolves of Bloody River, 1964), Dağların Sultanı (The Sultan of the Mountains, 1985).

INTERVIEW: Analar ve Çocuklar (Mothers and Children, 1964), Doğunun Çilesi (The Suffering of the East, 1966).

RESEARCH: Kan Çiçekleri (Bloodflowers, 1977), Altta Kalanlar (Those that Stay Under, 1979), Alaman Ocağı (The German Guild, German-Turkish, 1982), Ucu Ucuna Yaşam (Nearly Life, 1998).

HUMOUR: Öğretmeni Kim Öptü (Who Kissed the Teacher? 1995).