ALTINKAYNAK, Hikmet

Researcher of literature and lecturer (b. 1945, Bor / Niğde). He also has written under the pen name Ahmet Hikmet. He graduated from Ankara Primary Teachers Training School and İstanbul University, Faculty of Literature. He worked in Bitlis, Çanakkale, Rize and İstanbul as a primary school teacher. He is renowned for his works that evaluate modern Turkish literature from an objective point of view. He worked for the newspapers Milliyet and Hürriyet as a redactor, writer, editor-in-chief, advisor and editorial director. He was also a manager at Milliyet Publications and editor-in-chief of children reviews such as Milliyet Çocuk, Başak Çocuk, Pamuk Çocuk, Şirinler, Heidi and Red Kit. He received a permanent press card (2000) and worked at the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation as a program advisor. He prepared discussion programs in which he introduced books on Köln WDR Radio (1990-2001). He was the editorial director (1997-99) of the reviews Yaşasın Edebiyat and Eleştiri in which established writers and newcomers of literature were featured. He featured writers on television programs that he prepared for TV channels, primarily Yıldız’da Sohbet (Chat on a Star, 2001-2003) for TV 8, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, Channel 1, Channel 2 and Kanal D. At Yıldız Technical University he was the advisor to the rector for a time (2001-2004) and then continued his career as a lecturer at Yıldız Technical University, Faculty of Art and Design.

His critiques and research have been published in the review Eleştiri which he published after 1967 and in many newspapers such as Yeni Ortam, Cumhuriyet, Vatan, Milliyet, Radikal and in other reviews such as Yeni a, Varlık, Türk Dili, Eleştiri, Milliyet Sanat, Ulusal Kültür, Yaşasın Edebiyat and Hürriyet Gösteri. He edited the art pages of Milliyet and Finansal Forum. Ten of his thirty books are recommended by the Ministry of Education.

WORKS:

STUDY-RESEARCH: Edebiyatımızda 1940 Kuşağı (The 1940 Era in Our Literature, 1977), Orhan Kemal (Orhan Kemal, with Asım Bezirci, 1977; under the name Hikâye Yazarı Orhan Kemal-Story Writer Orhan Kemal, 1982), Nükte ve Fıkralarıyla Ahmet Rasim (Ahmet Rasim with his Witticisms and Anecdotes, 1984, 2004), Markopaşa Yazıları ve Ötekiler (Markopaşa Articles and Others, 1986), Orhan Kemal’in Hikâyeciliği (The Story-writing of Orhan Kemal, 2000), Türkçenin Zenginleştirilmesi Kurultayı (The Congress of the Enrichment of Turkish, 2000), Dünyayı Paylaşan Yazarlar (Writers Who Share the World, 2001), Çağdaş Türk Şiiri I (Contemporary Turkish Poetry I, 2003), 100 Temel Eser (100 Fundamental Works, 2004).

ESSAY: Zamanla (With Time, 1982).

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Karne Parası (Money for the School Report, 1979, short story), Ev Ödevi (Homework, 1986), Kutlu Günler (Happy Days, 1986), Fındık Kabuğuna Girer Kale Kapısına Sığmaz (A puzzle, 1986; under the name of Bilmece Bildirmece Dil Üstünde Kaydırmaca-Puzzle Puzzling On Tongue Twisters, 1998; a promotion of the newspaper Radikal, not attributed), Arkadaşım Bilgisayar (My Friend the Computer, 1990, short story), En Güzel Çocuk Oyunları (Best Children’s Plays, 1993, children’s play), Şimdi Aldığımız Bir Haberi Veriyoruz (And Now the Latest News, 1993), Ünlüler de Çocuktu (The Celebrities were Children Too, 1995, memoirs), Kardeşime Masallar (Tales to my Brother, 5 books, 2004), Atatürk’ü Seviyorum (I Love Atatürk, 10 books, 2004).

MONOGRAPH (for children): Ömer Seyfettin (Ömer Seyfettin, 1989), Nasreddin Hoca (Nasreddin Hoca, 1989), Evliya Çelebi (Evliya Çelebi, 1989), Karagöz (Karagöz, 1989), Dede Korkut (Dede Korkut, 1989), Ahmet Rasim (Ahmet Rasim, 1989), Halide Edip (Halide Edip, 1989), Yunus Emre (Yunus Emre, 1989), Mimar Sinan (Mimar Sinan, 1989), Karacaoğlan (Karacaoğlan, 1989).

INTERVIEW: Yeni Binyılın Edebiyatçıları (The Authors of the New Millennium, 2000).

His textbooks and translations have also been published.