M. Çiya Mazî
Short story writer, poet, and researcher.
He was born in 1960 in Kufragê (Ekinciler), a village in the town of Şemrex (Mazıdağı) in Mêrdîn (Mardin) Province. He attended the primary school in his village, went to secondary school in Mazıdağı, and graduated from high school in Mardin. He began to write in Kurdish in 1993, particularly for the newspaper Azadiya Welat and the magazine Jiyana Rewşen but also for publications in Southern and Western Kurdistan. Approximately 80 of his articles, writings, poems and short stories have been published in Kurdish magazines and newspapers and on internet sites such as Diyarname, Rewanbêj, Xendan and Pukmedia. Some of his short stories have been translated into Turkish and Arabic for anthologies.
Between 1996 and 2000, M. Çiya Mazi was on the Board of Directors of the Kurdish Institute of Istanbul. He retired after working for over twenty-five years as a civil servant and administrator in the Municipality of Mazıdağı and the Special Provincial Administrations of Şirnex (Şırnak), Hezex (İdil), and Mardin. M. Çiya Mazî’s real name is Musa Demirel. Mazî, who is married and the father of five children, has been living in Istanbul since 2010. He is the owner and the editor of Berbang Publishing House and a member of the Kurdish PEN Centre, the Kurdish Writers’ Association and the Human Rights Association Istanbul Branch.
Works:
Short story collections:
Mistek Jiyan (A Handful of Life), Sî Editions, 2003
Mijarên Mîqro (Micro Issues), Do Editions, 2009
Bahol (The Suitcase), Evrensel Editions, 2011
Peyarêk (The Pavement), Berbang Editions, 2013
Poetry:
Palûte (Give and Take), Do Editions, 2008
Translations:
Ahûzîn (Ahuzin), Müslüm Yücel, poetry, Do Editions, 2008
Research and essay collections:
Ferhenga Gotinên Pêşiyan (Dictionary of Proverbs), Elma Editions, 2005
Ferhenga Gotinên Pêşiyan (Dictionary of Proverbs), in Arabic alphabet, Spîrêz Publishing House, 2006, Duhok
Baxek Ji Folklora Kurdî – Ji Derdora Mêrdîn (A Collection of Kurdish Folklore from the Region of Mardin), Berbang Editions, 2014
Ez Çûm Ku Neçûm Ku (Notes from a Globe-Trotter), Berbang Editions, 2015
Awards:
First Prize in the Short Stories Competition of the Association of the Families of Prisoners and the Convicted, 1997
The Encouragement Award in the Short Stories Competition of the Mesopotamia Culture Centre with his short story titled Agir Jî Dîl Bû (Fire Was Enslaved As Well), 1997
First Prize in the Short Stories Competition of the Mesopotamia Culture Centre with his short story titled Mistek Jiyan Dixwazim (I Desire a Handful of Life), 1999
Contact information:
Email address: cmazi@hotmail.com
