Muzaffer İzgü facts for kids

Muzaffer İzgü (born October 29, 1933 – died August 26, 2017) was a famous Turkish writer and teacher. He wrote many books, especially for children, and was known for his funny stories. He wrote a total of 154 books, and 98 of them were for young readers like you!

Life Story

Muzaffer İzgü was born in Adana, Turkey, on October 29, 1933. His family was not rich, so he started working at a young age. He worked as a waiter, washed dishes, and sold drinks at cinemas to help his family and continue his schooling.

His father, Ahmet İzgü, came from Damascus to Adana to find work. He worked at a girls' high school. Muzaffer İzgü's mother, Havva, was from Antakya.

Muzaffer finished his primary school in Adana. He went to a few different schools because one was damaged in an earthquake. After primary school, he completed middle school.

He then went to a special boarding school in Diyarbakır to become a primary school teacher. After graduating, he started teaching in different parts of Turkey. He taught in places like Silvan and villages in Aydın. He even taught at an orphanage! Later, he studied more and became a Turkish language teacher for middle school students.

In 1978, he retired from teaching. He moved to İzmir, a city on the coast.

Sadly, Muzaffer İzgü was diagnosed with cancer in July 2016. He passed away from the illness on August 26, 2017.

His Books and Writings

Muzaffer İzgü started writing when he was a teacher in Aydın. His first stories were published in a local newspaper called Hüraydın in 1959. These were short stories and interviews.

In 1964, he began writing weekly short stories for another newspaper, Demokrat İzmir. Around this time, his funny stories also started appearing in a humor magazine called Akbaba. His interviews were later published in big national newspapers like Milliyet and Cumhuriyet. His humorous works also appeared in other newspapers and journals.

His first book, Gecekondu, was published in 1970. After that, he published more books like İlyas Efendi (1971) and Halo Dayı (1972). He later worked with a famous writer named Atilla İlhan and published many more books.

Muzaffer İzgü wrote two books about his own life, called Zıkkımın Kökü (which means "The Root of the Poison") and Ekmek Parası ("Breadwinning"). He also wrote plays for the stage.

His stories often talked about everyday problems in society in a funny way. Many of his books were even recommended by the Turkish Ministry of National Education for students to read! He also won several awards for his writing:

• 1977 – He won third place in the Nasreddin Hoca National Humorous Short Story Contest for his story Hıdır Baba.
• 1977 – He won second place in the Milliyet Sanat Humorous Short Story Contest for Anayasa, Hangi Anayasa ("Constitution? Which Constitution?").
• 1978 – He received the Turkish Language Association Story Award for Donumdaki Para.
• 1980 – He won the Bulgarian Golden Hedgehod Award for Dayak Birincisi.
• 1980 – He won first place at the Istanbul International Children's Books Fair Award for Uçtu Uçtu Ali Uçtu.
• 1997 – He won second place in the TÖMER Most Successful Children's Books Contest.

Stories in English

One of his books, Radical Niyazi Bey, was translated into English in 2001. It was part of a series that had both Turkish and English versions of stories. People who read it said that Muzaffer İzgü had a very clever and funny way of looking at things. One reviewer said he even taught readers how to cross the road in Turkey without getting hit, all with humor!

Another reviewer mentioned that his stories showed the normal everyday life in Turkish culture with a funny twist. They said he was amazing at understanding people and situations. For example, in one story called Letter from an Englishman, he was able to see his own culture from an outsider's point of view, which is a rare skill!

Another one of his stories, Devoted Moslem Ismail Effendi, is also available to read online in English.

Family Life

Muzaffer İzgü was married to Günsel İzgü. They met when he was studying in Diyarbakır. Their first child, a son named Bülent, was born in Silvan. Later, they had twin daughters, Nevin and Sevin, when they were living in Aydın.