Erdal Öz Literary Awards announce 2026 winners

The winners of the 2026 Erdal Öz Literary Awards have been announced, marking a structural change for the awards which have been presented since 2008. This year, the honors were expanded into three distinct categories.

Adnan Özyalçıner received the Erdal Öz Honor Award for his sixty-year contribution to Turkish literature, specifically for his focus on the working class and marginalized individuals in Istanbul. Polat Özlüoğlu was awarded the newly established Novel Award for his work ‘Kalbin Durduğu Bütün Zamanlar’, which explores themes of human dignity and the aftermath of the September 12, 1980 coup.

Additionally, Nesimi Yetik received the first-ever First Short Story Book Award for ‘Ben ve Gulyabani’, recognized for its linguistic sensitivity and thematic richness.