Since the early paleolithic ages, since the period when pictures were drawn on the walls of the Altemira caves in Spain, human beings have always conveyed their stories to the next generations. The way the enchanting discourses were derived from nature and the way they were used during the shamanistic rituals, long before the monotheistic religions, the narratives of Homeros of Smyrna, the epic of Gilgamesh, the itineraries of the famous Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi and all the other tales, legends and myths have joined hands and have travelled together throughout the centuries.

Man is telling his own stories since the time when he first started to convert his voice into statement. Since then, all the sounds have found their appropriate places on the tablets, on the papyri and finally on the papers and pages. All these efforts have constituted a whole: the totality of all the ways how man has come face to face with his own self. Man’s questioning his own existance in naïveté has always been found throughout history, even long before writing has been invented.

Human beings try to reach their own utopias persistently. When we study the losses of mankind in its ancient history, we clearly see that this persistency has roots in the distant past of humanity. We have put an end to the twentieth century which was full of injustice and bloodbath. We have welcomed the twenty first century with the hope that it would heal the destructive effects of the twentieth century. There were feasts and cheer in honour of this new century…Our efforts to amuse ourselves were full of hope but ad interim at the same time. Even if this seemed to be a situation that should be tolerated, our hopeful expectations backfired within a short time. This new century bears all the negativity of the previous century.

At this stage short stories were written. They are still being written. The short story draws strength from its own utopia, not from belief. This is because, utopia is by no means an abstract concept. If societies themselves try to attain other ways of living in which they will be able to battle for the values of the mankind and if they are capable of criticising the control of power, then they will never lose their own energy to renew the order in a society.

Utopia enlightens our minds as a phenomenon that is open to debate and criticism. The short story genre, which extends from an ancient tradition to our modern age, will strengthen and increase the rapidity of the throbbing of its heart. To repeat once again, utopia, in my opinion, is not only an abstract concept.

We take great pleasure in celebrating the 14 February-World Short Story Day.

FURUZAN 2010

(Translated into English by Aysu Erden)

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FURUZAN
*Turkish short story writer and novelist born in 1935.
Bibliography
Short story collections
Parasiz Yatili (Free Boarding School) (1971)
Kusatma (The Siege) (1972),
Benim Sinemalarim (My Cinemas) (1973),
Gecenin Oteki Yuzu (The Other Face of the Night) (1982),
Gul Mevsimidir (It’s the Season for Roses) (1985).
Novels
47’liler (Those Born in ’47) (1975),
Berlin’in Nar Cicegi (The Pomegranate Blossom of Berlin) (1988).
Filmography
Sira sende fistik (1971, as actress)
Ah güzel Istanbul (1981, as writer)
Benim sinemalarim (My Cinemas) (1990, as writer & director)
Awards
Awarded the 1971 Sait Faik Short Story Award for Parasiz Yatili (Free Boarding School)
Awarded the 1975 Turkish Language Association Novel Award for 47’liler (Those Born in ’47 )