AHMET ADA

Ahmet Ada (1947 – 2016, Ceyhan, Adana). Poet and writer. Son of Nazire Ada and Ahmet Ada. He completed his primary and junior high school education in Ceyhan (1965). After having worked at the Ceyhan branch office of State Hydraulics Works (1967-69), Consumption Cooperative for Carpenters (1971-87) and at a private company dealing with automobile sales (1989-93), he got his retirement. Member to Turkish Writers Syndicate. Settled down in Mersin in 2002. His first poem called ‘Books are Coffin’ and his analytical essay on Hilmi Yavuz’s poetics appeared in 1966 in Soyut (Abstract) magazine. He has published his poems and writings in Yeni Dergi (New Magazine), Papirüs (Papyrus), Varlık (Existence), Gösteri (Performance), Adam Sanat (Adam Art), Milliyet Sanat (Milliyet Art), Islık (Whistle), Yaratım (Creating), Kitap-lık (Libra-ry), le poete travaille, Yom (Luck), Heves (Zeal), Şiir-lik (Poe-sy), Eski (Old), Agora, Ünlem Exclamation), Dize (Verse), Ada (Island), Geceyazısı (Night-article) Sonsuzluk ve Bir Gün (Eternity and One Day), Cumhuriyet Kitap (Cumhuriyet Book) and Radikal Kitap (Radikal Book) magazines. Some of his poems have been translated into German, French, English, Bulgarian and Kurdish.
He was recognized as a notable representative to the poetry of the 1980’s. Though his poetry was perceived to be fed by the Second New basin, he established a unique lyric poetics of his own. Critics acknowledged that he has been nourished by realistic approaches and he composed his poems in epical, lyric, melancholic and refined way. With his latest poems he entered into a new phase in which he utilized spatial harmony of the contemporary poetry and added philosophical depth into the modern world design. In his long and epical poems, he tended towards a polyphonic poetry by looking out of humane perspective at the facts such as migration and war. He annotated the metamorphosis of poetry via poetical writings. He made efforts to get poetical concepts and terms coined. His book called “Şiir Okuma Durakları” (2004) “Terminals of Poetry Reading” (2004) has been regarded as a modern informative poetical handbook. He drew attention by his critical and analytical writings on the poetical issues and the ‘Second New’ poetry genre. In 2006 he was honored by a joint symposium of Çukuruva University Science-Literature Department’s Turkish Language And Literature Section and Education Department’s Philosophy Group Education Section on ‘Ahmet Ada’s Poetry in His 40th Anniversary’. In 2009 the symposium proceedings were published. In 2008 as part of documentary called ‘Two Poets One City’ prepared by Mersin University Communications Department’s Radio, Cinema and Television Section Ahmet Ada and Celâl Soykan talked about city culture and poetry. This interview was out in a DVD format. In 2009, 21 March World Poetry Day was celebrated in Mersin with a focus of Ahmet Ada’s poetry because of his 43rd anniversary of his poetical career. Ahmet Ada’s manifesto called “Göründü Göğün Faytonu” ‘Here Appears Phaeton of the Sky’ was read out.
Prizes: With Gün Doğsun Gül Üstüne (Let the Sun Rise on the Rose) 1981 Akademi Kitabevi Poetry Accomplishment Prize; with Aşk Her Yerde (Love is Everywhere) 1991 Ceyhun Atıf Kansu Poetry Prize; with Vakit Yok Hüzünlenmeye (There is No Time For Grieving) 1993 Yunus Nadi Poetry Prize; with Onlar İçin Minibüs Şarkısı Üzerine Gözlemler (Observations About Minibus Songs For Them)1999 E Magazine Poetry Essay Prize.
Works: Poetry: Gün Doğsun Gül Üstüne (Let the Sun Rise on the Rose), 1980; Acıyla Akran (Acquainted with Pain), 1983; Yaz Kırlangıcı Olsam (If Only I Would Be A Summer Martin) , 1985; Yitik Anka (Lost Phoenix), (Collective Publication of his three books) 1993; Aşka Her Yerde (Love is Everywhere), 1990; Vakit Yok Hüzünlenmeye (There is No Time For Grieving), 1992; Günyenisi Lirikler (Lyrics of Day-New), 1992; Taş Plak Gazelleri (Odes of Gramophone Record), 1995; Küçük Bir Anmalık (A Small Remembrance), 1996; Begonyalı Pencere (Window with Begonia) , 1998; Denize Atılan Çiçek (Flower Thrown into the Sea),1999; Gökyüzünün Fıskiyesi (Fountain of the Sky), 2003; Denizin Uykusu Üstümde (The Sleep of the Sea on Me), 2004; Kantolar (Cantos), 2006; Yeni Kantolar (New Cantos), 2007; Sonsuz At (Infinite Horse – Selected Poems), 2009; Sözcükler Denizi (Sea of the Words), 2009, Taşa Bağlarım Zamanı (I Tie Time to Stone), 2009; Paçalı Bulut (Feather-Legged Cloud); Yoktur Belki Ahmet Ada Diye Birisi (Maybe There is Nobody Named Ahmet Ada), 2010
Poetics : Şiir Okuma Durakları (Terminals of Poetry Reading), 2004; Şiir İçin Boş Levhalar (Empty Plates for Poetry), 2006; Modern Şiir Üzerine Yazılar (Writings on Contemporary Poetry), 2008, Şiir Dersleri (Poetry Lessons),2011