About the book
From the heart of contemporary Turkish literature comes Bostan Korkuluğu (The Scarecrow), a delightful and wise children's book by the award-winning Turkish author and poet Salim Nizam. Known in his homeland as the "new Ömer Seyfettin" for his masterful storytelling, Nizam brings his characteristic warmth, intelligence, and deep understanding of rural life to this enchanting tale. The story follows the brave and clever scarecrow tasked with protecting the fields, who one day spots three suspicious men wandering around his village. What begins as a simple duty soon unfolds into an engaging adventure, teaching young readers timeless lessons about courage, vigilance, and the quiet heroism found in everyday life.
Nizam draws richly from his own childhood in the village of Paşaçiftlik in Gönen, Balıkesir, where he was born in 1970. The son of a storyteller mother and a father who sang folk songs, he grew up listening to the tales and traditions that would later fill his award-winning stories. A graduate of Turkish Language Teaching and Turkish Language and Literature, Nizam has won numerous national literary awards, including first prize in the prestigious Ömer Seyfettin Story Competition for his work Köy Saatçisi (The Village Watchmaker). His novel Ben Gönen'de Doğdum (I Was Born in Gönen) was selected as the Best Novel of the Year at the 2022 ESKADER Culture and Art Awards. With Bostan Korkuluğu, part of his "Gizemli Maceralar Serisi" (Mysterious Adventures Series), he brings his signature blend of mystery, morality, and Anatolian charm to young readers.
Published by Semerkand Çocuk Yayınları, this 72-page Turkish-language edition is ideally suited for children aged 6 to 8. Its accessible prose, brisk pacing, and gentle suspense make it a perfect introduction to literary reading. More than just a mystery, Bostan Korkuluğu is a celebration of responsibility, community, and the courage to act when something seems amiss. It is an ideal choice for parents and educators seeking to enrich a child's library with a story that is both entertaining and morally nourishing, offering a window into the timeless storytelling traditions of Turkey.
About the author
Salim Nizam, one of contemporary Turkish literature’s most distinctive voices, was born in 1970 in the village of Paşaçiftlik in Gönen, Balıkesir. Growing up as the son of a mother who told traditional tales and a father who sang folk songs, he absorbed the oral culture that would later permeate his award-winning stories. After completing his primary, middle, and high school education in Balıkesir, he pursued higher studies at Dokuz Eylül University (Turkish Language Teaching) and Anadolu University (Turkish Language and Literature). He fulfilled his military service as a reserve officer in Güzelyurt, Cyprus. Today, he continues to teach Turkish language and literature at Mirciler Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in his hometown, Gönen, where he lives with his wife and two children.
Salim Nizam’s literary journey began with poetry in middle school, followed by his first short stories in high school and his first novel, Sisli Göl, during university. His career gained national momentum when his story Köy Saatçisi (The Village Watchmaker) won first prize in the prestigious Ömer Seyfettin Story Competition in 2006, earning him the nickname “the new Ömer Seyfettin” in national media. Since then, he has amassed numerous literary awards. His works span multiple genres: short story collections such as Köy Saatçisi and Saçlarıma Kına Yak Baba, novels including Sisli Göl, Senin İçin Enginar Sakladım, and the biographical Ben Gönen’de Doğdum about Ömer Seyfettin. In his beloved children’s novel Bostan Korkuluğu (The Scarecrow), part of his “Gizemli Maceralar Serisi” (Mysterious Adventures Series), Nizam blends mystery, village life, and moral courage, introducing young readers to the timeless storytelling traditions of Anatolia. Through poetry, fiction, and children’s literature, Salim Nizam remains a passionate and versatile voice in modern Turkish literature.
About the translator
