Author • Turkish literature
Zeynep Cemali
Zeynep Cemali, who brought a masterful deepness to children’s litearature, was born in İstanbul in 1950. During her childhood and youth, she traveled around Anatolia with her father, who was engaged in handicrafts, carpet, and rug trade. Her father’s repetitive saying “to live is to learn,” has largely shaped her life. Her stories for children were published starting in 1991, in magazines like Kumbara (İş Bankası Kültür Publishing), Türkiye Çocuk, Buğday and Vitamin Childrens’ Newspaper distributed in Germany. The success of her first book, published by Günışığı Kitaplığı in 1999, Puff Pastry, the Oak Tree and Me (Ben, Çınar Ağacı ve Pufböreği) and The Thorns of Rose Street (Gül Sokağı’nın Dikenleri) published the following year, proved that she is a strong storyteller. Cemali continued to develop her unique narration style in her novels. She reached readers of all ages with her novels such as The Girl On Roller-Skates (Patenli Kız, 2003) and Honey Cookie Café (Ballı Çörek Kafeteryası, 2005), as well as with her story books, such as My Eccentric Dad (Çılgın Babam, 2004) and The Cat is Strolling Through Stories (Öykü Öykü Gezen Kedi, 2007). Woman From Ankara (Ankaralı, 2010) which receveived Türkan Saylan Arts Award in 2011, is the last novel of Zeynep Cemali, who passed away in November 2009.