Halil İbrahim Özcan

Was born in Talas/Kayseri. Graduated from the Kayseri Institute of Education. Taught in a secondary school for three years. Left the country when the September 12 Military Junta came to power. Lived in Syria and Lebanon for several years. Upon his return, he was arrested and served a ten-year prison term. Wrote poetry, short stories and novels. His works appeared in Edebiyat Dostları, Defter, Düşler, Yazıt, Yaba, Yazın, Nar, Sombahar and Varlık. Prepared the Anthology of Prison Poetry.

After his acquittal, he studied at  the Turkish Language and Literature Department of Anadolu University. His first poetry collection titled Randevu Hazırlığı was published by Metis Yayınevi. Kırık Zar, Yüzünü Temiz Tut Ecel Her An Gelebilir, Kavgalı Küçük Fener, Ejderha Yılları, Çankaya’nın Duvaksız Gelini Fikriye, Rüzgâra Karşı Yürüyen Adam Nâzım, Renklere Son Veda Tarlabaşı, Yıldırım Beyazıt, Küller Arasında Haçin, Ağlarsam Haberim Olsun were subsequently published.

Kırık Zarwon the 2007 Orhan Murat Arıburnu Poetry Award. This poetry collection was translated into Romanian; Çankaya’nın Duvaksız Gelini Fikriye into Arabic; his poetry into English, German, Arabic, Romanian, and Persian. Within the framework of the “Ural-Altay Network Studies”, he gave presentations in Mongolia, Khirghistan and Crimea.  He worked as an editor, scriptwriter and actor. He has been an active member of several literary associations.

At the 2008 Frankfurt Book Fair, Turkey was the  “Guest Country of Honor” – Halil İbrahim Özcan was  one of the seven members of the “Turkey Committee”. On behalf of Turkish PEN, he participated in several International PEN congresses as a delegate. He was the Vice-President of Turkish PEN for eleven years. He served as the President of the “Writers-in-Prison Committee” for fifteen years.