İhsan Oktay Anar

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İhsan Oktay Anar, born 1960 in Yozgat, Turkey, is a Turkish writer, illustrator, literature translator and an academic.

He studied philosophy in Ege University on undergraduate (1984), graduate (1989) and doctoral levels. Anar now teaches at the same university, lecturing in antique philosophy and Greek.

Anar published his first novel, The Atlas of Misty Continents (Puslu Kıtalar Atlası) in 1995. His novels are fantasy pieces supported by historical facts and rumors especially related to the Ottoman Empire and a narration resembling fairy tales. He is known for well developed, various and original characters and providing a philosophical basis for his fantasy plots. Supernatural elements and references to folk literature and culture are commonly seen in his works. He uses a mixture of Ottoman and folk terminology within his Turkish writings, giving references to myths and historical scriptures. A trivial fact is that each of his books have a character named "Uzun İhsan" (meaning "Ihsan the Tall"), which is in fact a reference to himself. Anar is a tall and imposing figure, with a height over six feet four.

[edit] Works

Novels

• Taciturns (Suskunlar) (2007)
• Amat (Amat) (2005)
• Stories of Afrasiab (Efrasiyab`ın Hikayeleri) (1998) - later adapted for stage
• Kitab-ül Hiyel (1996)
• The Atlas of Misty Continents (Puslu Kıtalar Atlası) (1995)

Illustrations for Kitab-ül Hiyel

• has published articles in the former newspaper Yeni Binyıl
• has published a story in the book 1002 Gece Masalları

Academic articles published in Turkish

• Anar, İ.O., Er Efsanesinin Muhtemel Kökenleri, Seminar, 1993, P.30-44.
• Anar, İ.O., Sokrates Sorunu, Seminar. 1990. pp.1-9.