Pınar Kür was a writer who actively contributed to literature, translation, and academia in Türkiye from the second half of the 20th century. She produced works in the genres of novel, short story, and translation, focusing on themes such as female identity, social relations, and individual experiences. She worked as a lecturer and faculty member at Istanbul University and Istanbul Bilgi University. She passed away in Istanbul on 15 July 2025.

Pınar Kür – (Anadolu Ajansı)

Early Life and Education

Pınar Kür was born on 15 April 1943 in Bursa. Her mother, İsmet Kür, was a writer and a teacher of Turkish language and literature; her father, Behram Kür, taught French and mathematics. She was the niece of the poet Halide Nusret Zorlutuna and the cousin of the novelist Emine Işınsu. Her childhood years were spent in cities such as Bilecik, Zonguldak, and Ankara.

She completed her secondary education in New York and graduated from Robert College in Istanbul. She earned her undergraduate degree at Queens College in the United States and later at Boğaziçi University in Türkiye. In 1969, she received her doctorate in comparative literature from the Sorbonne University in Paris with a thesis titled “Reality and Illusion in Twentieth-Century Theatre.”

She married actor Can Kolukısa, with whom she had a son named Emrah Kolukısa.

Academic and Theatre Work

Pınar Kür worked as a dramaturg at the Ankara State Theatres from 1971 to 1973. From 1979 to 1985, she served as an English lecturer at the School of Foreign Languages at Istanbul University. Later, she worked as a faculty member in the Department of Media and Communication Systems at Istanbul Bilgi University.

Literary Career

Kür began engaging with poetry and theatre at a young age. Her first short stories were published in 1971 in the magazine Dost. Her stories and essays appeared in publications such as Cumhuriyet, Yazko Edebiyat, Hürriyet Gösteri, and Milliyet Sanat.

In her works, she particularly explored themes such as the female body, freedom, love, sexuality, loneliness, marriage, and generational conflicts. These themes became central elements defining her literary identity.

Her 1979 novel Yarın Yarın drew attention in the context of the 12 March period. Along with this work, her first four novels were seized on charges of obscenity, and some were ordered to be destroyed. The author was ultimately acquitted following court proceedings. Novels such as Yarın Yarın, Asılacak Kadın, and Bitmeyen Aşk were later adapted for cinema.

Works

Novels

• Yarın Yarın (1976)
• Küçük Oyuncu (1977)
• Asılacak Kadın (1979)
• Bitmeyen Aşk (1986)
• Bir Cinayet Romanı (1989)
• Sonuncu Sonbahar (1992)
• Beşpeşe (2004)
• Cinayet Fakültesi (2006)
• Sadık Bey (2016)

Short Stories

• Akışı Olmayan Sular (1983)
• Bir Deli Ağaç (1992)
• Hayalet Hikâyeler (2004)
• Cinayet Fakültesi (2006)

Interviews

• Aşkın Sonu Cinayettir – with Mine Söğüt (2006)

Translations

• Vișnenin Cinsiyeti – Jeanette Winterson
• Tutku – Jeanette Winterson
• Yabancı Kucak – Ian McEwan
• Geniş Geniş Bir Deniz – Jean Rhys
• Günaydın Geceyarısı – Jean Rhys
• Karanlıkta Yolculuk – Jean Rhys
• Dörtlü – Jean Rhys
• Dalda Duran Kuşlar – selections from Jean Rhys
• Karanlıkta Kahkaha – Vladimir Nabokov
• Şaklaban – Morris West
• Ailenin Laneti – Dashiell Hammet
• Yunus İnsanlar – Tristen Krol
• Doğmamış Çocuğa Mektup
• Durulmayan Bir Kafa – Kay Redfield Jamison
• Bağla Şu İş!
• Aç Sınıfın Laneti
• Ademden Önce

Awards and Archive

• 1984: Sait Faik Short Story Award for Akışı Olmayan Sular
• 2013: Ankara Short Story Days Honorary Award

Pınar Kür’s personal archive is held by the Women’s Works Library and Information Center Foundation.

Death

Pınar Kür, who had been receiving treatment for health issues, passed away in Istanbul on 15 July 2025 at the age of 82.