Ayşe Şasa's personal archive and letters turned into a book
A work consisting of letters by Ayşe Şasa, a unique figure in Turkish cinema and intellectual life, has been brought together with readers by Ketebe Yayınları.
The personal archive of Ayşe Şasa, one of the prominent figures of Turkish cinema and intellectual world, which was meticulously classified after her passing, has been presented to readers in the work titled Sana Anlatacak Fantastik Şeylerim Olacak.
First Work from the Personal Archive
The personal archive left behind by Ayşe Şasa, a unique figure in Turkish cinema and intellectual life, has begun to come to light through a two-year effort carried out after her death. The work, which is the first fruit of the compilation process managed by Project Editor Abdurrahman Badeci, was published by Ketebe Yayınları.
Bearing the title Sana Anlatacak Fantastik Şeylerim Olacak, this book sheds light on Şasa's intellectual world extending from cinema to Sufism, her friendships, and her spiritual quests.
The World of Seclusion Built with Letters
Ayşe Şasa maintained her connection to the outside world through telephone and letters during long periods of seclusion when she could not leave her house due to health issues. Treating letters with the meticulousness of literary texts in years when the internet was not widespread, the author viewed these correspondences as a way of sharing her loneliness.
A Wide Intellectual Circle
The letters included in the book reveal Şasa's wide and colorful intellectual circle extending from Kemal Tahir to Orhan Pamuk, from Yavuz Turgul to Şerif Mardin and Yusuf Kaplan. Beyond simple communication, these correspondences offer in-depth analyses.
Letters to Deceased Friends
One of the most striking parts of the letters consists of the pages and lines written to deceased friends. Addressing Kemal Tahir 26 years after his death, Şasa opens her spiritual world regarding mystical tendencies to the reader through these letters.
Correspondences with Orhan Pamuk
The compilation also includes responses given by Orhan Pamuk to Şasa, who signed her letters as "Sofi, your recluse sister Ayşe". Pamuk states that he read what was written with pleasure and that he does not possess the courage found in Şasa.
Traces in Cinema and Future Projects
With this first work extracted from the estate of Şasa—the screenwriter of films such as Balatlı Arif, Ah Güzel İstanbul, and Gramofon Avrat—letters have been added to her corpus. Following the letters, the diaries, which constitute the most important pillar of the estate, are also planned to be published.