We caught up with Özgür Uyanık, whose debut short story collection Men Alone was published last month, to ask him some questions...
Hi Öz, and thanks for making the time to talk to us. What inspired you to write Men Alone?
Following my father’s death in 2019, I began to think more deeply about his life. One aspect that fascinated me was the hard barrier between his external self and his secretive internal one and so I wanted to explore this way of being. Therefore, each story is about men—at different stages of life—trying to master their existence alone and making tragic or amusing errors, often both, along the way.
Are there any autobiographical elements to it?
Fiction ought to remain a mysterious amalgam of truth and lies, surely, so that writers can freely express themselves on the page. I understand why people ask the question, but it should never be answered honestly.
What are you reading right now?
Samuel Beckett’s Murphy, books of short stories by Annie Proulx and Alice Munro, as well as non-fiction related to my PhD research in creative writing.
What was the first book you remember loving as a child?
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I still love the book and now realise that it has been nestling in my subconscious for so long I doubt I could ever separate myself from it entirely.
Do you have a favourite literary quote?
“Wisdom is better than folly, but death makes fools of us all.”—Ecclesiastes, The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.
What is your writing process? Where, when, how, etc?
Chaotic. I need deadlines though, it’s the only way I get anything done.
You’ve also written a novel. Which of the forms do you prefer writing: short or long fiction?
I want to write both, but the literary novel is a tricky one nowadays—it’s a major commitment. Looking at my own reading habits, I seem to prefer novellas and have started on one as my next project. There are also novelettes to consider…
Do you have a photo you can share of your bookshelves?
I’ve got two bookshelves: one small one here and a bigger one in İstanbul. That says a lot more about me than any photo could.
Men Alone: Stories is available now, from your favourite bookshop or right here on the Parthian website.
