AHMET GÜNBAŞ

Born in 1953, in İzmir. Graduated from Aegean University’s School of Journalism and Public Relations.
Debuted his writings for the Literature and Art page of the Demokrat İzmir Daily in 1973. During his university studying years, he stood trial for one of his poems, and eventually he was exonerated. In March of 1976 alongside with Ali Rıza Ertan, Hüseyin Yurttaş and M. Kadri Sümer he founded the magazine called Dönemeç (Turnout). Co-founder of Agora and Ünlem (Exclamation) magazines. As well as poetry, he made appearances with his essays and short stories. In recent years, he has drawn attention through his reviews of the books, of mostly essay books.
As part of his poetika, in Hasan Tahsin Poetry Competition (1979) İbrahim Yıldız Poetry Prize (1998) honorable mention award (with Göçkün-Migrant), Şinasi Özdenoğlu Poetry Competition organized by the Mülkiyeliler Birliği Foundation (2000) as well as third prize in Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Poetry Competition with a subject theme of ‘Bursa’ organized by Bursa-Osmangazi Municipality (2000). The same year he shared the Behçet Aysan Poetry Prize by his work called Exile As Tall As Love. In Salihli Poetry Afternoons the Autumn 2004 Rendezvous, he won the Dionysus Poetry Prize that is dubbed as a labor award. Moreover, he was chosen through his work of Silk Wound as the recipient of Kyöd Poetry Prize of Youth Prize organized to honor Ruşen Hakkı (2007).
In the field of criticism; an accomplishment award of the Youth Awards in ‘poetry criticism’ introduced by Yarın magazine (1982).
In short stories; in the Abdullah Baştürk Competition for Short Stories of Workers with his short story called ‘Selo’ he won the second place. (2003).
His poetry collections; Evren Porridge (1974), In What Part of the Night are You?(1986), Migrant (1997), After the Waters (1999), Mustafa Kemals Grow Fast (2000, An Essay for Children about the Independence War), Exile As Tall As Love (2001), Green Almond With Grayish Blue (2004) Silk Wound (2006) Whistle Debt (2010,) and Poetry Pocket (2010, Poems for children).
He collected poems of Ender Sarıyatı who prematurely died in Poems Resisting Death (2000), prose writings of Ali Rıza Ertan in Love Notes (2006). Moreover, he published the Anthology of Prematurely Died Poets covering only the poets of the Republic era (2007), and the anthology of the Name of Poetry is İzmir (2008, with M. Kadri Sümer). Somebody Called Miço (2002) and Lost Lake (2008) are the youth novels he put his signature on. I have a Poem in my Basket (2009) features his essays.
There is a thesis undertaken about him (Derya Biçen, Manisa, 2007). Continues writing for magazines.