Ali Volkan Erdemir has been granted the 2024 Talât Sait Halman Translation Award for his dedication and mastery in translating from Japanese to Turkish, and has created a refined text in his translation of Kenzaburo Oe’s Suishi.
Ali Volkan Erdemir, a faculty member, translator, and author, completed his undergraduate studies at Ankara University’s Department of Japanese Language and Literature, followed by a master’s and doctorate in Comparative Culture Studies at Kyoto University. In addition to his academic works, including Japonya’da Türk İmgesinin Oluşumu (2014) and Yerleşik Yabancı Pierre Loti (2018), he has written fictional works and compiled En Sevilen Japon Masalları (2022). He has translated notable works of Japanese literature into Turkish, including those by Kenzaburo Oe, Yukio Mishima, and Haruki Murakami. Since 2010, he has held the position of Chair of the Department of Japanese Language and Literature at Erciyes University. He has received several awards, including the Honorable Mention at the 2010 Bosphorus Book Fair Haiku Competition, the 2020 Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Award, and the 2023 Kitap Dergisi Translation of the Year Award.
Selection Committee
Doğan Hızlan, author (Chair)
Sevin Okyay, author, translator, and critic
Ayşe Sarısayın, author and translator
Yiğit Bener, author and translator
Kaya Genç, author and translator
Suda Ölüm (Suishi)
Author: Kenzaburo Oe
Translator: Ali Volkan Erdemir
Publisher: Can Yayınları
Original title: Suishi
First edition in Turkish: 2024