Author • Turkish literature

Sevgi Saygı

Sevgi Saygı, was born in 1957 in İzmir, graduated from Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Cinema and Television. She worked as assistant film director with famous movie director Atıf Yılmaz and wrote several film scripts. Saygı is currently writing books for children and young adults. Her first children’s novel Where Did Dad Go? (Babam Nereye Gitti?, 2009) is followed by What’s Happening to My Uncle? (Amcama Neler Oluyor?) and Mystic Days (Gizemli Günler). Her standalone children’s novel Shimugula (Şimugula) published in 2010 attracted big attention and is followed by My Granny is an Alien! (Babaannemin İçine Uzaylı Kaçtı!) published in 2016. She has written a series for early readers, named “Jasmin and Lavender” (Yasemin ve Lavanta) which includes four books and published in 2017. Saygı’s short story “Baby” (Bebek) is longlisted for 2013 Gio Awards given by FABİSAD, Fantasy and Science Fiction Association of Turkey. Her two YA novels Peri Efsa (Peri Efsa) and The Wanderer (Gezgin) were published in 2014 and 2015 under ON8 imprint of Günışığı Kitaplığı covering books for 15+. Saygı tells a remarkable story with her amusing narration style and  fun characters in her novel The Play Detectives (Turne Dedektifleri, 2019). Her latest children’s novel Beloved Freak (Sevgili Ucube, 2022) is an exciting tale of self-discovery and embrace of nature. Saygı lives with her cats in Gencelli, near İzmir.