He was born in 1965 in the town of Farqîn (Silvan), in Amed (Diyarbakır) Province. After he completed primary and secondary school in Silvan, he graduated from the Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of Education of the Dicle University in 1985. He has been writing short stories and novels in Kurdish, compiling and researching etymology in the field of Kurdish, and writing reviews of literary works since 1996. He has been working to comprehensively collect Kurdish idioms and document Kurdish language, orthography, standardization and etymology all in one. Additionally, he has been translating literature from Turkish into Kurdish as well. In 2004, together with a group of his writer friends, he published W, a bimonthly periodical of culture, art and literature, and edited it for two years. Between the years of 2008 and 2010, he wrote articles on cultural and literary topics for the Kurdish daily newspaper Azadiya Welat. Zeraq, who still lives in Diyarbakır, teaches mathematics.
Works:
Short story collections:
Kakil (The Kernel), Sî Editions, 2002
Bişirîna Şermînî (The Timid Smile), Aram Editions, 2003 (second edition, Lîs Editions, 2016)
Çilkên Pênûsê (Drips from the Pen), Lîs Editions, 2009
Novels:
Şevên Winda Wêneyên Meçhûl (Sêyîneya Winda, 1) (Lost Nights and Unbeknown Pictures, (The Lost Trilogy, 1)), Lîs Editions, 2005 (second edition, Lîs Editions, 2016)
Mirina Bêsî (Sêyîneya Winda, 2) (Shadowless Death (The Lost Trilogy, 2)), Lîs Editions, 2011
Nexşên Li Giyan (Sêyîneya Winda, 3) (Embroideries in the Soul (The Lost Trilogy, 3)), Lîs Editions, 2014
Research and Scholarship:
Rajena Kurdî (Nivîsarên Libarey Ziman û Wêjeyê) (The Pulse of Kurdish (Articles on Language and Literature)), Lîs Editions, 2014
Dictionaries:
Deyimler Sözlüğü (Türkçe-Kürtçe) (Dictionary of Idioms (Turkish-Kurdish), The Kurdish Institute of Istanbul Editions, 2005 (second edition, Lîs Editions, 2016)
Ferhenga Biwêjan (Kurdî-Tirkî) (Dictionary of Idioms (Kurdish-Turkish)),Lîs Editions, 2016
Ferhenga Biwêjan (Kurdî-Kurdî) (Dictionary of Idioms (Kurdish-Kurdish)), Lîs Editions, 2016
Ferhenga Têrmên Matematîkê (Dictionary of Mathematics Terms), with Mem Wenda, Lîs Editions, 2015
Translations:
Ejdehayê Sêserî (The Three-Headed Dragon), Leylâ Erbil, a selection of short stories, Lîs Editions, 2007
Jiyana Li Madridê (Life in Madrid), Oya Baydar, a selection of short stories, Lîs Editions, 2007
Gelaciyên Bajarê Nû (The City’s New Gossip), Müge İplikçi, a selection of short stories, Lîs Editions, 2007
Jiyanê Li Îstasyonê Dest Pê Kir (Life Started in the Station), Jaklin Çelik, a selection of short stories, Lîs Editions, 2007
Şahiya Hêrsê (Festival of Wrath), Jaklin Çelik, novel, Lîs Editions, 2012
Awards:
The APEC Publishing House Short Stories Award for his short story book titled Kakil (The Kernel), 2002
Contact information:
Email address: dzeraq@hotmail.com.[1]