Sait Faik Abasıyanık left behind a great literary legacy with a unique style and contributions to the genre of short stories as one of the pioneers of modern Turkish short story writing.
Abasıyanık's works introduced a new perspective and narrative approach to Turkish literature, departing from the traditional storytelling techniques prevalent at the time.
He had a keen eye for capturing the nuances of everyday life, and his characters were often depicted with deep empathy and a sense of authenticity. He explored themes such as human relationships, social dynamics, nostalgia and the human struggle for meaning.
What sets Abasıyanık apart is his masterful use of language. He employed a simple yet evocative and poetic writing style, which resonated with readers and captured the essence of the settings and emotions he portrayed. His language was rich with vivid imagery and carefully crafted descriptions, creating a unique atmosphere in his stories.
"Son Kuşlar" ("The Last Birds"), "Semaver" ("The Samovar"), "Havada Bulut" ("Cloud in the Sky"), "Sarnıç" ("The Cistern"), "Şahmerdan" ("The Pile Driver"), "Kumpanya" (The Troupe), and "Mahalle Kahvesi" ("Local Coffee Shop") are among his rich tapestry of stories.
Born on Nov.23, 1906, in Sakarya, he was the son of Mehmet Faik Bey and Makbule Hanım.
Abasıyanık completed his primary education at Rehber-i Terakki School, where education was conducted in foreign languages. While studying at Adapazarı High School, he wrote his first poem and moved to Istanbul in 1924. He attended Istanbul Erkek Lisesi (Istanbul Boys' College) and then continued his education at Bursa Lisesi (Bursa High School), graduating in 1928.
During his time at Bursa, encouraged by his literature teacher Mümtaz Bey, Abasıyanık developed an interest in literature after writing his first stories and experimenting with poetry. He wrote his poem and his first story when he was quite young.
The successful writer enrolled in the Department of Turkology at Istanbul University in 1928. He began to acquaint himself with the artistic and literary circles during this period.
His story titled "Uçurtmalar" ("Kites") was published on Dec.9, 1929, in the art section of the Milliyet newspaper. Since their house, the faculty and the famous coffeehouses were all in the same neighborhood, Sait Faik occasionally attended classes, but it was in the coffeehouses where young writers of that time gathered that he was most frequently seen.
At his father's request, Abasıyanık left university and went to the city of Lausanne in Switzerland for economic studies, and from there to Grenoble in France in 1931. However, due to his irregular education and bohemian lifestyle until 1934, the accomplished writer returned to Türkiye without obtaining a diploma upon his father's summons.
For a while, Sait Faik Abasıyanık worked as a Turkish language teacher at the Armenian Orphanage in Istanbul's Halıcıoğlu.
Unable to manage the trade shop he opened with his father's capital, the writer relied on the income from the remaining properties and his writings after his father died in 1939.
Abasıyanık's stories were published in period's prominent magazines between 1934 and 1940 and received considerable attention from the literary spheres.
The writer's first book, "Semaver," was published by Remzi Kitabevi, with the printing costs covered by his father.
In the story "Haritada Bir Nokta" ("A Dot on the Map"), the esteemed author conveyed his relationship with writing: "I had promised myself. I wouldn't even write a single word. What was writing but another form of greed? I would wait for a peaceful death here, among honest people.
What use did I have for ambition or anger? But I couldn't do it. I rushed to the tobacconist. I bought a pen and paper. I sat down. When I felt bored while walking on the deserted paths of the island, I took out the knife I always carried in my pocket to carve small sticks. After sharpening the pen, I held it and kissed it. If I didn't write, I would go mad."
Abasıyanık conducted 28 court interviews during his time as a court reporter.
In 1953, Sait Faik was honored as a member of the international Mark Twain Society in the U.S. The esteemed writer attributed this recognition not to himself but to Turkish storytelling. While reflecting his free-thinking nature in his stories, he also revolutionized the traditional structure of Turkish storytelling, which had followed a framework of introduction, development, climax and conclusion since the Tanzimat period, referring to the political reforms made in the Ottoman State in 1839.
Initially perceived as amateurish, his stories were regarded as a literary revolution in Turkish storytelling, breaking away from the classic short story tradition of the Republic era.
On May 5, 1954, the great writer suffered a medical crisis and was admitted to the hospital. Starting with esophageal bleeding, he fell into a coma due to blood loss. Sait Faik Abasıyanık passed away on May 11, 1954. He was laid to rest at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.
After her son's passing, Abasıyanık's mother requested that most of their assets, the copyrights of the writer's works and the establishment of the Sait Faik Abasıyanık Museum be entrusted to the Darüşşafaka Society in their mansion on Burgazada.
Makbule Hanım also stipulated that a story gift be presented yearly in her son's name.
