Orhan Veli Kanık (1914-1950) was born in Beykoz, Istanbul. His father, Mehmet Veli Bey, was a conductor in the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. Orhan Veli continued his education at Galatasaray High School until 1925, then at Ankara High School (Taş Mektep). Encouraged by his literature teachers, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar and Rıfkı Melûl Meriç, he began writing essays and poems. In 1932, he enrolled in the Philosophy Department at Istanbul University and became president of the Literature Faculty Student Union. During this time, he worked as an assistant teacher at Galatasaray High School. Without graduating, he started working as a clerk in the Telegraph Department at the General Directorate of PTT (State Postal Services) in Ankara. Later, he joined the Translation Bureau, where he translated works from French. In 1949, he began publishing the magazine Yaprak, which lasted for 28 issues.
He met Oktay Rifat in primary school and Melih Cevdet in high school. These three founded the poetry movement called Garip (Strage). The Garip movement broke away from traditional patterns in Turkish literature and used daily language and images in poetry. Orhan Veli’s poems, while presenting a simple and sincere language, are usually about city life, love, travel and human relations. He often uses a humorous approach and irony in his works.
In 1950, Orhan Veli fell into a ditch opened by the municipality in Ankara, hit his head, and passed away a few days later in Istanbul due to a brain hemorrhage. His funeral was carried on the shoulders of a large crowd from Beyazıt to Sirkeci, and he was buried in Aşiyan Cemetery.
