Dogan Hızlan (born in Istanbul on December 23, 1937) graduated from Davutpasa 28 Elementary School and then Pertevniyal High School (1956). He graduated from the Faculty of Law of Istanbul University. He served as an art director in "Cumhuriyet" and "Yeni Gazete" (1970-71), where he started to work in 1963 as a proofreader. He worked at Altin Kitaplar Publishing House and was the founder and editor-in-chief of the magazine "Yeni Edebiyat" (24 issues from 1969 to 71). He has been serving as the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Gosteri" since December 1980. He is also the editorial consultant and columnist at the newspaper "Hurriyet".

In addition to three newspapers he works for, Dogan Hızlan mostly wrote articles, which were for critical reviews and book introductions, for the magazines "Sunday Post", "Echo", "a", "Turk Dili", "Donem", "Yelken", "Siir Sanati", "Papirus", "Soyut", "Yeni Edebiyat", “Devrim” and “Goster”. He was referred to with “50 Kusagi” and the “a Kusagi” formed around the magazine "a". He created and hosted the show "Yasayan Edebiyatcilar" in 1974 on TRT. He started to produce shows on books with the show "Kitaplar ve Dusunceler" on TRT Istanbul Radio in 1972 and then continued with the show "Karalama Defteri" on TRT-2. "Karalama Defteri", the show he produced and hosted from the very beginning, was later broadcast on NTV and CNN Turk. He produced and presented "Acik Sehir", the culture-art show, on TRT from 2010 to 2015. He was recognized as the Honorary Author at the 25th Istanbul International TUYAP Book Fair in 2006. He received the Presidential Culture and Art Grand Award under the category of criticism in 2011. He received the Literature Honor Award in Mersin in 2016.

He is the author of the books in the genre essay and criticism, which are Yazili Iliskiler (1983), Gunlerde Kalan: Cagdas Edebiyatimiza Dipnotlari (1983, Edebiyatimiza Dipnotlar, 2010), Sanat Gunah Cikariyor (1992), Kitaplar Kitabi (1996), Ne Kadar Mozart O Kadar Sut (1996), Sakli Su (1996), Soylesiler (1997), Guncelin Cagrisi (1997), Duzyazi Ayraci (2001), Mavi Bereli (2001), Siir Cilingiri (2001), Edebiyat Donencesi (2003), Yalnizlik Kahvesi (2003), Elegi Duvardan Indirelim (selected essays, 2005), Edebiyat Daima (2006, 2014), Aynadaki Bakislar (2006), Sonmus Kibritin Izinde Yazilar (2006), Calinti Kitap Deposu (2007), Cagaloglu - Hayatin ve Meslegin Birlestigi Yer (2009), Kitaplarla Kultur Turu (2010), On Birinci Kat Yazilari (2014), Kitap Hayat Icindir (2015), Deme Kis Yaz, Oku Yaz (2015), Siirin Cografyasi (2017), Yasamdan Izler (2017), Edebiyat Hayatin Neresinde? (2017), Yeniden Okumak (2017), ...Yazi Kalir (talks on Radio and TV, 2018).