Çiğdem Odabaşı

Çiğdem Odabaşı is a creative drama and reading educator and author. 

She holds degrees in Library Science, Media and Communication, and Child Development, and is currently studying Cultural Heritage and Tourism at Istanbul University. Since 2002, she has combined literature, drama, and art in workshops, training, and consultancy for diverse ages. Her work centers on enriching reading culture, building interdisciplinary links, and opening space for creative thinking. Her training began with Creative Drama Leadership at the Contemporary Drama Association, Education in Drama at Anadolu University, and a Ministry of Education–approved Drama Instructor Certificate. She later deepened her practice through psychodrama, art therapy, image theatre, deep democracy, nonviolent communication, breathwork, dance, and movement.

She also integrates Points of You® trainings and a coaching-informed approach, developing methods for individual and institutional settings. She has collaborated with Yapı Kredi Publications, Koç, American SEV, Hisar, İELEV, Robert College, Bahçeşehir Schools, İş Bank Museum, Hacettepe University, and the municipalities of Nilüfer, Seyhan, and Gaziantep.

Through sustained partnerships with municipalities, universities, publishers, and cultural organizations, her work reaches children, adults, teachers, and educators, supporting the growth of a reading culture. Her children’s books include Yeşil, Günebakan Çiçekleri, Ben Kimim?, and Mümkünler Ormanı’nda Neler Mümkün?. These works explore nature, environment, earth, mindful awareness, and ecological sensitivity, shaping a literary language that nurtures imagination and fosters social awareness. As an author, she continues this approach and aims to produce new works that feed imagination and strengthen awareness in young readers.