MEETING WITH JALE SANCAK

WHO IS JALE SANCAK? Storywriter ( 3 december 1958, İstanbul). She atteded Bebek Primary School and Behçet Kemal Çağlar High Scool. She worked as a secratry, redactor and designer for sometime. She has been working as a stylist and designer in the textile sector since 1984. She has also contiuned her studies in painting. Her short strories published in the reviews Argos, Aylak Adam and Varlık. She prepared a television program with the title Ateşi Çalmak ( Stealing The Fire) for the Turkish Radio and Television Corparation in 1998. One of her stories was filmed by same television corparation and twenty of her plays were broadcast on radio. Her short story named ‘Bu Gece Pera’da’ ( Tonight In Pera) translated in to Finnish. Short Story:Bu Gece Pera’da ( Tonight In Pera ,1989), Aynadaki Yüzler( Faces On The Mirror, 1991) , Surdibinde Çilingir Muhabbeti ( The Chat Of Burglars Around The City Walls, 2002)

SOME BOOKS OF JALE SANCAK

Dilan Turan: When did you firstly begin to write? How did you begin it?

When I had began to write I was so young. When I was in primary school I was writing child poems. I am saying it in every meeting. First of all I’ve liked to read books and so I’ve wanted to write sometthing more and more. In secondary school I was reading Reşat Nuri, Hüseyin Rahmi’s books. İn the last year of secondary school I was reading Turgut Uyar, Nazım Hikmet, Edip Cansever and Cemal Süreya’s poems and then I want to write like them. So till to find my literary style and voice I’ve tried to write like them. I’ve began to find my voice by the accumulation that I’ve had in my whole life

Özge Yazıcı: For you is writing a hoby or a lifestyle?I think it begins as hoby. That’s not bad for me. But in a time it can be a lifestyle for writer’s whole life. By the way you can look all life, all streets, people, places in the world of literature. You can ask yourself these in that time: What can I create from this things? How it can be a nice story? İn an time it can turn a lifestyle or it can takes big parts of your life?

Melisa Özen: What is your mood when you begin to write?Firstly I have to share it. For a long time except for writing I had to work in many jobs. Because of to earn money and living on. I was thinking many ideas fort o form or develope my story in free times. Now in last years I am only writing and I am giving writing lessons in some workshops. So I can be quiet nowadays in these times. My psychology is better becuse of I have time to write and to read more. Before I am beginning writing I am always silent but in a time I can be more excited. Shortly I can say that I don’t want any other things to do except for writing when I am thinking on a story nowadays.

Melisa özen: What is the main themes in your books?In my books I am telling the tragedies of people who are living communication problems in big cities. Problems of them in the system and being of person. I am telling their social and moral problems. When I am writing love story, at the other hand I am telling their social problems too and their relations between others.

Zeynep Çekirdekçi: What is your plans for the future?Really I don’t think the future, I have no plan for it. I think when a person in age 60 doesn’t make plan for the future. But I am working on a play now. I will finish it in a short time. I have a novel draft. I am thinking to finish my novel in 2 years. I am only thinking to write since I will live.

Özge Yazıcı: Can you earn your keep with your books? What is your suggestion to young people?In western world a writer can earn their keep by writing . But it difficult in Turkey. So that I had to work in other jobs to earn money in my life until today. I can suggest young writers to work in other jobs while they are writing. You can write when you are working in an other job of course.

Yeşim Kaya: Can you say your favorite writer? Classical literature or contemporary literature?

I dont seperate them. I like many classical books and many contemporary books as reader. Antonio Tabucchi, Tolstoy, Dostoyevski, Sait Faik are my favorite writers.

We have talked literature and Jale Sancak’s books…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbsZ3sMCDEg