The prestigious Sait Faik Short Story Award, held annually in memory of renowned Turkish writer Sait Faik Abasıyanık, has been awarded this year for the 71st time. The winner is Burçe Bahadır, honored for her short story collection Şimdi Dönecek Dünya (“The World Will Turn Back Soon”).
Organized in collaboration with Darüşşafaka Society, Türkiye İş Bankası, and Kültür Yayınları, the selection committee—comprised of Prof. Dr. Nazan Aksoy, Prof. Seval Şahin, Cemil Kavukçu, İhsan Yılmaz, Faruk Duman, Beşir Özmen (member of Darüşşafaka’s Committee for Culture and History), and Adnan Bali (Chairman of Türkiye İş Bankası)—praised Bahadır’s book, published by İletişim Yayınları, for its sincere, creative, and distinctive narrative style in portraying various experiences of womanhood from adolescence to old age, across rural and urban settings.
Doğan Hızlan Special Prize Awarded for the First Time
This year also marked the inaugural presentation of the Doğan Hızlan Special Prize, named in honor of the award’s honorary jury chair. The prize was granted to Derya Sönmez for her book Öteki Hayvanlar (“The Other Animals”), published by Sel Yayıncılık. The jury commended the book as a work that successfully unites a well-crafted narrative structure with a unique literary voice.
Selected from 145 Entries
A total of 145 submissions were reviewed by a preliminary jury coordinated by Emrah Kolukısa, and consisting of Seray Şahinler Demir, Eray Ak, and Ali Bulunmaz. The following titles were shortlisted in alphabetical order:
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Abdullah Bey – Merih Günay
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Ev Öldü Ben Ağaçları Seyrettim – Mustafa Orman
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Hadiseler Cereyan Ederken – Elif Derviş
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Kırık Rahvan – Semih Öztürk
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Onca Günah Varken – İlay Bilgili
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Öteki Hayvanlar – Derya Sönmez
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Sınır – Kerem Işık
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Soğan Doğradığın Çıplak Eller – Pınar İlkiz
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Şehri Terk Eden – Hakan Sarıpolat
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Şimdi Dönecek Dünya – Burçe Bahadır
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Yanımda Kal – Eylem Ata
Who is Burçe Bahadır?
Born in Ankara in 1973, Burçe Bahadır is a graduate of Ankara University, Faculty of Language, History and Geography. She has worked extensively as a documentary filmmaker and writer. In 2008, her program Modern Zamanlar was commended by the Turkish Journalists Association. Her 2016 documentary Refakatçi received both the Sedat Simavi Award for Best TV Documentary and an international award.
Her previous books include Ölü Kadınlar Memleketi (2014) and Deliliğe Zarif Bir Giriş (2022). The latter earned her the 33rd Haldun Taner Short Story Award.
Who is Derya Sönmez?
Derya Sönmez, born in Ayvalık in 1980, is a graduate of Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine. Her debut book Sırça Kanatlar (2021) won both the Antalya Literature Days Best First Story Book Award and the Ömer Asım Aksoy Award presented by the Language Association.
A Legacy of Literary Excellence
The Sait Faik Short Story Award was established in 1955 by Sait Faik’s mother, Makbule Abasıyanık, and has been organized by the Darüşşafaka Society since 1964. In 2012, Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları joined the initiative, further expanding the award’s reach and significance. It remains one of the most esteemed honors in Turkish literature.
Although copyright for Sait Faik’s works expired as of January 1, 2025, Kültür Yayınları has announced it will continue to donate all proceeds from his publications to the Darüşşafaka Society, in line with the author’s wishes.
