Author • Turkish literature
Ömer Açık
Born in Adana in 1980, Ömer Açık graduated from Hacettepe University, Department of Classroom Teaching. He worked as a teacher first in a village of Adana, then in Mardin and İstanbul. In his first novel for children A Station Called Violet (Menekşe İstasyonu, 2015) he tells the story of solidarity in a neighbourhood. In My Dad’s Hilarious (Benim Babam Ömür Adam, 2015) Açık tells the story of a child with unlimited imagination who wants to wander with the winds. His novel Blazerless (Montsuzlar, 2017) questions the concept of “alphabetical order” within the framework of justice, while My Stubborn Grandpa (Taşkafa, 2018), which is about three close friends who are keen on crossing borders, makes us think about family secrets. Following Summer Traveller And Auntie Achoo (Yaz Gezgini ile Hapşu Teyze, 2020), which focuses on a child’s interesting summer holiday with his traveller and writer aunt, Açık wrote the illustrated short story An Amazing Day to Remember (Hatırlamak İçin Güzel Bir Gün, 2023), in which he encourages remembrance and solidarity by placing a children’s park at the centre of his narrative. His new novel, The Heart of the Story (Hikâyenin Kalbi, 2024) is about a group of students fighting for their freedom to read the books of their choice. Ömer Açık lives in Seferihisar, İzmir with his wife and daughter.