Biography

Peyami Safa (April 2, 1899 – June 15, 1961) was a Turkish journalist, columnist and novelist. He came to the fore in the Turkish literature of the Republican era with his psychological works such as Dokuzuncu Hariciye Koğuşu (Ninth External Ward). He reflected his life and his changes to his works. He wrote many novels under the pseudonym Server Bedi. He created the type Cingöz Recai inspired by Arsène Lupin of the French writer Maurice Leblanc. He also worked as a journalist at various institutions and published several magazines such as Kültür Haftası with his brother İlhami Safa.

The poet Tevfik Fikret named him when he was born. After he lost his father at a young age, he lived under difficult conditions with his mother and brother. Bone tuberculosis appeared on his right arm. He processed his psychology in those years in his autobiographical novel, Ninth External Ward. He gave his first literary products during his education in Vefa High School. He worked as a teacher for a short time. The stories he published under the title Stories of the Century drew attention and received encouraging reactions. He entered pen quarrels with prominent literary writers of the period. He experienced various changes by exhibiting positivist, materialist, mystical, nationalist, conservative, anti-communist and corporatist attitudes. With his knowledge of French, he closely followed Western culture and innovations. In his early days, he made translations from names such as Maupassant and Rousseau. He always chose Istanbul as the venue for his later works and never gave up the synthesis and analysis of the East and the West. He published articles with critical style in newspapers such as Milliyet. His good relationships with Nâzım Hikmet and Necip Fazıl Kısakürek turned into pen fights over time. At first, he became closer to the Republican People's Party, then to the Democrat Party.

He continued his literary life, which he started at a young age, until his death. He was mainly nationalist and conservative. The Ministry of National Education recommended his two books for secondary school students. His works were also adapted to the cinema and series in various periods.