Celebrating Tomris Uyar

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Istanbul-based guest artist Merve Atılgan, celebrates the prolific Turkish short story writer and translator Tomris Uyar. A leading figure in 1970s Turkish literature, Uyar was known for her realist style that often focused on the authentic depiction of female characters and family dynamics. On this day in 1980 and 1987, Uyar was honored with one of Turkish literature's most esteemed awards for short stories, the Sait Faik Story Award.

Born in Istanbul on March 15, 1941, Uyar grew up attending American schools, and her access to English-language short fiction and Turkey’s contemporary literature served as a strong inspiration for the future writer. 

Beginning her career as a translator, Uyar continued in the craft for the rest of her life, tackling avant-garde English fiction, and in the process developing a rare mastery of the intricacies of the Turkish language.

As a writer, she devoted herself to short fiction with a bit of support from her cats. Whenever one entered the room, she credited the felines for stimulating her writing process. These “inspiration cats,” referenced in the Doodle artwork, helped her to publish over 900 pages across 11 volumes of her stories throughout her career. 

Amongst her greatest influences was Turkish writer Sait Faik, known for narrating evocative human stories unconstrained by form or plot. Drawing from influences like Faik, Uyar’s work pushed the boundaries of the form, employing postmodern techniques in the exploration of the lives of ordinary people, particularly from a female perspective. Over the years, her writing progressed to a caliber that positioned her to receive the aforementioned Sait Faik Story Award twice, a prize created in honor of the writer that had such a profound impact on Uyar and her narratives.

In current times, Uyar’s writing has been published in over 60 languages and is enjoyed by readers around the world to this day.

Guest Artist Q&A with Merve Atılgan

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Istanbul-based guest artist Merve Atılgan. Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:
 

Q: Why was this topic meaningful to you personally?

A: Since my childhood, I always admired unique and powerful women who had a rebellious attitude in life. They were unafraid to live freely, be their true selves, and follow their instincts, and in many ways lived beyond their era. Tomris Uyar was one of these women.
 

Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

A: I researched her deeply. I read her interviews and articles about her. One lovely detail I learned about Tomris Uyar was that she found inspiration for her writing from “inspiration cats,” which inspired the concept for the Doodle.

Q: What do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

A: I want people to feel her powerful aura: strong, yet with a soft energy like water, with so much talent and genuineness. I hope people can learn from her to embrace their differences and authentic selves with love.

Early sketch of the Doodle