Poet, writer and translator Cemal Süreya, who translated approximately 40 books from French to Turkish, passed away 34 years ago on Jan. 9.
In addition to poetry, Cemal Süreya, whose real name was Cemalettin Seber, wrote essays, children's books, diaries, compilations and critical essays and translated both poetry and prose.
Born in 1931 in Erzincan as the son of the couple Hüseyin and Gülbeyaz, Süreya's family was exiled in 1938, forcing them to move from Tunceli Pülümür to Bilecik. According to some sources, Süreya lost his mother at the age of 23 in 1937, while other sources suggest it happened six months after the exile. He was sent to live with his aunt in Istanbul to receive a good education.
A year later, his father came to Istanbul, brought the other children and started working. However, the family was once again sent to the exile location in Bilecik. Starting at Bilecik Middle School, Süreya, to escape the mistreatment from his stepmother Esma, who married his father in 1944, took the exams for the free boarding school.
Cemal Süreya, drawing attention with his success in Turkish and literature classes, enrolled in Haydarpaşa High School as a boarding student in 1947 after his father's marriage. After that, he continued his education in the Department of Finance and Economics at Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences, graduating in 1950.
While still a university student, Cemal Süreya married Seniha Hanım on Nov. 23, 1953. The couple's daughter Ayçe was born on Aug. 3, 1955.
After graduating from school in 1954 and starting to work as an intern at the Eskişehir Tax Office the same year, Süreya passed the Inspection Board exam and went to Istanbul on Aug. 11, 1955, as an assistant finance inspector.
His first poem, "Şarkısı Beyaz," was published in the school magazine in 1953. Süreya was recognized as one of the pioneers of the "İkinci Yeni" (the Second New) poetry movement.
Led by poets like Orhan Veli Kanık, Melih Cevdet Anday and Oktay Rifat, this movement aimed to break away from traditional poetic forms and themes, embracing free verse, modern language and experimental styles.
With the idea of starting a magazine fueled by both his poems and writings, Süreya began his military service in July 1959, completing it on Dec. 31, 1960.
During his military service, Süreya also got extra lessons and a law degree. The accomplished literary figure published the first issue of Papirüs magazine on Aug. 1, 1960. The poet took an eight-month break after the second issue, and three issues later, he closed the magazine in July 1961.
After a yearlong assignment in Paris by the Ministry of Finance, Cemal Süreya returned to Istanbul in 1964. Alongside his friends Sezai Karakoç and Doğan Yel from the Finance Inspection Board, he resigned on July 31, 1965, to focus on literature.
Returning to his position at the Ministry of Finance in 1971, the poet also served in various capacities, including at the Istanbul Hocapaşa Tax Office, Finance Inspection Board and Istanbul Mint and Stamp Printing Directorate.
Taking on editorial roles in the Oluşum magazine, where he wrote editorials and the Türkiye Yazıları magazine, which he co-founded, Süreya began his career as a newspaper columnist in 1977 with the "Günübirlik" articles in the art section of Politika newspaper.
Cemal Süreya served on the advisory board of Culture Publications and held a position on the Culture Publications Advisory Board of the Ministry of Culture. He published the last issue of Papirüs on March 15, 1981, and retired in 1982 after serving various government roles.
Writing under various pseudonyms such as Osman Mazlum, Adil Fırat, Ali Fakir, Ali Hakir, Ahmet Gürsu, Hüseyin Karayazı, Birsen Sağanak and Dr. Suat Hüseyin, Süreya contributed to various genres, including poetry, essays, children's books, diaries, critical writings, poetry and prose translations and compilations.
Cemal Süreya, sharing the Yeditepe Poetry Award in 1958 for his first book "Üvercinka," received the Turkish Language Association Literature Award in 1966 for his second book "Göçebe."
Translating around 40 books from French to Turkish, Cemal Süreya passed away on Jan. 9, 1990, and was buried in Kulaksız Cemetery.
