Sabahattin Ali (25 February 1907 – 2 April 1948) was a Turkish novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in the township of Eğridere (now Ardino in southern Bulgaria), then part of the Sanjak of Gümülcine (now Komotini in northern Greece), within the Ottoman Empire. Ali lived in Istanbul, Çanakkale, and Edremit before entering the School of Education in Balıkesir. He was later transferred to the School of Education in Istanbul, where he graduated in 1926.

After serving as a teacher in Yozgat for one year, he earned a fellowship from the Ministry of National Education and studied in Germany from 1928 to 1930. Upon returning to Turkey, he taught the German language in high schools at Aydın and Konya. While serving as a teacher, Ali engaged in his literary activities, leaving a significant mark on Turkish literature.