Fürüzan (born 1935), who uses only her first name as a pen name, is one of Turkey's best contemporary short story writers and one of its most famous female authors. She established her career by writing about the disadvantaged in society, particularly refugees and women and children. She has published two novels and five volumes of short stories, in addition to travel writing and producing a movie script. She has gained critical acclaim in Turkey and the international literary community. Her works have been translated into English, German, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Arabic, and Persian.

Became Self-Taught Author

Fürüzan Yerdelen was born in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 29, 1935. When she was a child her father passed away and she had to quit school after the eighth grade. She went to work as an actress with the Little Theater acting company. In 1958, when she...