NEDA TOLOUI-SEMNANI is an award-winning journalist and author. Her work has appeared in various publications including VICE News and The Washington Post among others, and it has been nominated for seven Emmys and garnered two. Her first book, They Said They Wanted Revolution: A Memoir of My Parents was published in 2022 by Little A.
Soudabeh Ashrafi is an award-winning Iranian writer and a retired librarian, currently residing in Oakland California. Born in Iran, she has lived in the United States since 1985. Her three published books include a short story collection titled Farda Mibinamat (I’ll See You Tomorrow), Mahiha dar Shab Mikhaband (Fish Sleep at Night) a novel, and Cuba Jazireye Bitaab (Cuba, the Restless Island); Three Travelogues to Cuba, 2015-2020.
Soudabeh won her first literary award, Sadegh Hedayat Foundation Short Story Award, for Otaghi, Khiali (a Room, a Hallucination), in 2000. Her novel, Fish Sleep at Night, was chosen by the Meheregaan-e Adab, and the Golshiri Foundation Award for the best Novel of the year in 2004. Billy, from her short story collection also won the Golshiri Foundation Award for best short story in 2007.
Dr. Sadreddin Elahi, born in 1934 in Tehran-Iran, was a renowned veteran writer, critic, researcher, translator, poet, and was one of Iran ’s most prominent journalists. He was one of the first writers of serialized fiction in Iran. He was the founder and editor of the Sport Magazine, “Keyhan Varzeshi”, established in 1955. He taught Journalism in The College of Communication Sciences in Iran and was one of the initiators of the modern style of conversational dialogue in newspaper journalism. He was an outstanding field reporter as his reports from the Algerian War for Independence demonstrated. Dr. Elahi has authored many books including: “Ba Saadi dar Bazercheh Zendeghi”, “Doori-ha va Delghiri-ha”, “Naghde Bi Ghash – Collected Conversations of Sadreddin Elahi with Parviz Khanlari”,”Tefl Sad Saleyi be nam Sher Now-Collection of dialogues and interviews with renowned poet Nader Naderpour”, “Maghaleh ha va Moghooleha”, and “Seyed Zia- Mard aval ya dovom Coup d ‘Etat”.
Bagher Momeni, born in 1926 in Kermanshah-Iran, is a renowned scholar of modern Iran, public intellectual and left wing political activist. He has researched, translated, and written many articles and books. Noghteh Resources on Iran has recently published “Bagher Momeni, A Political and Intellectual Life”, a two volume book subtitled: “Rahroei dar rah beepayan”.
Dr. Taheri studied classical and contemporary Persian literature in Iran at Pahlavi (Shiraz) University, and received her Master’s degree in Persian studies from the Pajuheshkade-ye Farhang-e Iran, and her PH.D from the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. During the last two decades she has taught Persian literature, language, Iranian history and culture, and Gender and culture courses in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley (USA), the Department of Persian Studies at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Japan), and the Middle East and Central Asian Studies Department in the Australasian National University (Australia).
Reza Mahmoudi, born in Mashhad, received his Bachelor’s degree in History from Ferdowsi University, Master’s degree in History from University of Houston, and PhD in Political Science from University of Texas, Austin. He was an active member of the Confederation of Iranian Students in the US. He taught at University in Iran, was a political activist, and left for the United States in 1983.
Ahmad Karimi Hakkak is a visiting Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Culture at UCLA. He has been part of faculty of many university and has received numerous awards for his contribution to the field of Near Eastern languages. He has written more that nineteen books and over one hundred major scholarly articles. He has contributed articles on Iran and Persian literature to many reference works, including Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Iranica, and The Encyclopedia of Translation Studies. A specialist in modern Persian literature, his works have been translated into French, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, Greek, Arabic, Japanese, and Persian. He has served as President of the International Society for Iranian Studies and several other professional academic organizations.
Dr. Taheri studied classical and contemporary Persian literature in Iran at Pahlavi (Shiraz) University, and received her Master’s degree in Persian studies from the Pajuheshkade-ye Farhang-e Iran, and her PH.D from the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. During the last two decades she has taught Persian literature, language, Iranian history and culture, and Gender and culture courses in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley (USA), the Department of Persian Studies at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Japan), and the Middle East and Central Asian Studies Department in the Australasian National University (Australia). Her first book, Hozur-e peyda va penhan-e zan dar mutun-e sufiyyeh was published by the Institute of Asian and African Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies/Japan in 2007. The third editions of this book was published in 2018.
Dr. Taheri studied classical and contemporary Persian literature in Iran at Pahlavi (Shiraz) University, and received her Master’s degree in Persian studies from the Pajuheshkade-ye Farhang-e Iran, and her PH.D from the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. During the last two decades she has taught Persian literature, language, Iranian history and culture, and Gender and culture courses in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley (USA), the Department of Persian Studies at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Japan), and Australasian National University (Australia). Her first book, Hozur-e peyda va penhan-e zan dar mutun-e sufiyyeh was published by the Institute of Asian and African Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies/Japan in 2007. Her second book “The Ancient Silence of Mirrors” (Sokut-e Kohan-e ‘Ayene-haa) has been published in Japanese in Tokyo, and Persian by Nashr-e Sales in Iran. She is currently working on her upcoming book on “The Image of Women in Persian Ethical Texts.” This research project received a fellowship from the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford in 2016-2017. Taheri is also a published poet with two collections of poetry: Milad and Pegaah-e Nokhostin. Her third poetry book “Daaman be Khaak Mikeshad Maah” is in the process of being published by “Nashr-e Sales” in Iran.
Shahriar Mandanipour has held fellowships at Brown University, Harvard University, Boston College, and at the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin. His honors include the Mehregan Award for the best Iranian children’s novel of 2004, the 1998 Golden Tablet Award for best fiction in Iran during the previous two decades, and Best Film Critique at the 1994 Press Festival in Tehran. Mandanipour is the author of nine volumes of fiction, one nonfiction book, and more than 100 essays in literary theory, literature and art criticism, creative writing, censorship, and social commentary. From 1999 until 2007, he was Editor-in-Chief of Asr-e Panjshanbeh (Thursday Evening), a monthly literary journal that after 9 years of publishing was banned. Short works have been published in France, Germany, Denmark, and in languages such Arabic, Turkish, and Kurdish. Mandanipour’s first novel to appear in English, Censoring an Iranian Love Story, translated by Sara Khalili and published by Knopf in 2009 was very well received, and was awarded (Greek ed.) the Athens Prize for Literature for 2011. The novel has been translated and published in 11 other languages and in 13 countries.
Darioush Ashouri studied at the Faculty of Law, Political Sciences and Economics of the University of Tehran, and has been visiting professor of Persian language and literature at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Ashoori taught at the Oriental Institute of the University of Oxford, and lectured on political philosophy and political sociology at the University of Tehran. From 1970 to 1978 Ashoori was a member of the second Academy of Persian Language.
Ashoori has worked extensively as an author, essayist, translator, literary interpreter, encyclopedist, and lexicologist. His intellectual interests cover a wide interdisciplinary range, including political sciences, literature, philosophy and linguistics. His main domain of intellectual focus is the cultural and linguistic matters of his native country, Iran, as a Third World country encountering modernity.
He has made vast contributions to the development of the Persian vocabulary and terminology in the domains of human sciences and philosophy by coining new words and modifying existing ones. His works in this domain are compiled in his Farhang-e ‘olum-e ensāni (A Dictionary of Human Sciences). Among his major works stands a hermeneutical, intertextual study of the Divan of Hafez (Erfān o rendi dar she’r-e Hafez) which introduces a new approach to the understanding of the great classical poet. As translator, he has translated numerous classical literary and philosophical works by Nietzsche, Machiavelli, Shakespeare and others into Persian.
Holding a PhD degree in philosophy from the University of London and a native of Mashad, Khorasan Province, Esmail Khoi is a philosophical poet, whose work has been frequently commented in the country.
Khoi, who received his secondary education in Meshed, immigrated abroad after the victory of Islamic Revolution and he is presently teaching or researching in England (2004). The loss of his son was a big shock for the poet and made him more and more despondent.
His focus on art gives special vigor and firmness to his structure. When deeply immersed in literature, Esmail makes a medium for social discourse and philosophical speculation.
His heavy and artistic poetry has an epic tune, which proves that poets bred in Khorasan, cannot forget their epic ancestors.
His language is eloquent, ringing and pedantic with well-selected words.
Works
On the Galloping Stallion of Earth, On the Roof of Whirlwind, Of Those Seafarers, Beyond the Night of the Present, To Sit by the Seashore and Exist, We Who Existed and Slumbering at the Ever Every Morning London.
Sahar Delijani was born in Tehran, Iran in 1983, and graduated in Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. Her internationally acclaimed debut novel, Children of the Jacaranda Tree, has been translated into 30 languages and published in more than 75 countries.
One of the most talked about books of London Book Fair 2012, Children of the Jacaranda Tree was the Second Finalist for Elle Gran Premio 2014, a Great Group Read 2014 Selection by Women’s National Book Association, a Kansas City Star’s Top 10 Books of 2013, a July 2013 Indie Next Great Read, La Stampa’s literary protagonist of 2013, Vogue India’s Top 10 Big Reads of 2014, and a candidate for Prix des Lecteurs Sélection 2015 by Le Livre de Poche.
Twice a Puschcart nominee, Delijani’s writings have appeared in a wide range of literary publications and journals including BBC Persian, The Bellevue Review, Corriere della Sera, La Nazione, Read it Forward, Slice Magazine, Perigee Publications and Berkeley Poetry Review.
Delijani lives between Europe and California.
Hadi Ghaemi is an internationally recognized expert on Iran and human rights. In 2008, together with international human rights activists in the Netherlands, he founded the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), formerly the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. CHRI has since become a leading organization documenting human rights violations in Iran and building international coalitions to support human rights.
Previously, Ghaemi worked with Human Rights Watch, joining the organization in 2004 as the Iran and United Arab Emirates researcher. His work at Human Rights Watch focused international attention on the plight of migrant workers in Dubai, as well as the repression of civil society in Iran. After the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, he was a member of the first UN-commissioned human rights fact-finding mission to Afghanistan. Between 2001 and 2004, he worked with NGOs focusing on Afghanistan and Iraq.
Born in Iran, Ghaemi came to the United States in 1983 as a student and received his doctorate in physics from Boston University in 1994. He was a professor of physics at City University of New York until 2000. His groundbreaking research in nanophysics has been published in prestigious scientific journals such as Nature, and he holds four patents in this field.
Darioush Ashouri has served as a visiting professor and lecturer of Persian language and literature at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Oxford University, and of political philosophy and political sociology at the University of Tehran. He is the author of ”An Introduction to Sociology”, “Modernity and Us”, “Dictionary of Philosophy and Political Science”, “Political Encyclopedia” among others. He is also a translator of works by Nietzsche, William Shakespeare and Nicola Machiavelli. By his prolific publications in several disciplines he is considered an influential and referential figure in contemporary literary and linguistic life of Iran. He has worked extensively as author, essayist, translator, literary critique, encyclopedist, and lexicologist. His intellectual interests cover a wide interdisciplinary range, including political sciences, literature, philosophy and linguistics.
ايرج طبيب نيا مهندس معماری و شهر سازی است که سال ها در اين زمينه ها فعاليت می کند. او می گويد، با شاهنامه در محضر استاد محمد جعفر محجوب آشنا شده است و از ایشان نه با شاهنامه که با بسی از گوشه های دیگر ادبیات فارسی نیز آشنا شده است.
شاهنامه تاریخ سرزمین ایران و مردمان آنست. نه از زبان یک مورخ؛ بلکه از نگاه یک شاعر و اندیشمند، و روشنفکری برجسته.
کتاب از زمان غار نشینی نیاکان ما آغاز میشود و تا زمان سقوط ساسانیان ادامه می یابد. مانند سنت تاریخ نویسی در سراسر جهان، هر دوره با نام پادشاهان و سلسله ها مشخص و تعریف شده و مانند هر تاریخ کاملی همۀ آداب و رسومِ وجوه فرهنگی و اجتماعی و سیاسی و نظامی در آن نگاشته شده است.
شاهنامه سرودۀ فردوسی در گذر روزگار، دچار پاره یی از کژ فهمی هایی شده که برخی از روی غرض و برخی از روی شیفتگی بوده است. و گروهی نیز بی آنکه رنج آگاه شدن را بر خود هموار کرده باشند این گفته ها و بافته ها را درست دانسته و پذیرفته اند. به عنوان نمونه: در این کتاب نه تنها سخنی از قبیل برتری نژادی و قومی و زن ستیزی نیست؛ بلکه بسیاری از عناصر عمده و محوری آن هم نا شناخته مانده، سهواً یا عمداً، وارونه جلوه داده شده است.
نباید نا گفته بماند که این کتاب، البته، تنها جنبه تاریخ ندارد و دارای ابعاد و ارزش های گوناگون دیگری هم هست که کوشش خواهد شد پاره هایی از آنها نیز یادآوری شوند.
Mr. Iraj Tabibnia is the author of “The Epic of Rostam and Sohrab”.
Kader Abdolah, the pen name of Hossein Sadjadi Ghaemmaghami, is the great-great-grandson of Qhaem Megham Ferahani. From early age he was interested in literature and read western literature very widly. As a physics student in Tehran, he joined an underground left-wing political party that first rebelled against the Shah and later against the Islamic Republic. Besides writing for periodicals, he published two collections of stories under the pseudonym ‘Kader Abdolah’, the first names of two of his friends from the opposition who had been murdered. After being forced to flee Iran, he took up residence in the Netherlands in 1988. He studied Dutch at Utrecht University and in 1993 published De adelaars (The Eagles). In 2000, he published the autobiographical novel Spijkerschrift (translated into 13 languages, including in English by Susan Massotty as My Father’s Notebook). In 2006, he discussed the impact of Islamic fundamentalism on the daily life of a tradition-conscious family in his novel Het huis van de moskee (The House of the Mosque).
ﻣﻴﺮﺯﺍﺁﻗﺎﻋﺴگري(ﻣﺎﻧﻰ) ﺩﺭ ﺳﺎﻝ ۱۳۳۰ در ﺍﺳﺪﺁﺑﺎﺩِﻫﻤﺪﺍﻥ ﺯﺍﺩﻩ ﺷﺪ. ﺁﻓﺮﻳﻨﺶ ﺍﺩﺑﻰ ﺭﺍ ﺩﺭ ﻧﻮﺟﻮﺍﻧﻰ ﺁﻏﺎﺯ ﻛﺮﺩ. ﺁﺛﺎﺭﺵ ﺩﺭ ﻧﺸﺮﻳﺎﺕ ﻭﻗﺖ ﺑﺎﺯﺗﺎﺏ ﻳﺎﻓﺘﻨﺪ.ﻧﺨﺴﺘﻴﻦ ﻛﺘﺎﺏ ﺷﻌﺮﺵ با ﻧﺎﻡ ﻓﺮﺩﺍ ﺍﻭﻟﻴﻦ ﺭﻭﺯ ﺩﻧﻴﺎﺳﺖ ﺩﺭ ۱۳۵۴ﻣﻨﺘﺸﺮ ﺷﺪ ﻭ ﺗﺎﻛﻨﻮﻥ ۴۰ ﺟﻠﺪ ﺍﺯ ﺁﺛﺎﺭﺵ ﺑﻪ ﭼﺎﭖ ﺭﺳﻴﺪهاﻧﺪ. ﻣﺎﻧﻰ ﻧﻘﺪ ﺍﺩﺑﻰ ﻭ ﺩﺍﺳﺘﺎﻥ ﻫﻢ ﻣﻰﻧﻮﻳﺴﺪ. ﺑﺮﺍى ﻛﻮﺩﻛﺎﻥ ﻧﻴﺰ ﺷﻌﺮ ﻭ ﺩﺍﺳﺘﺎﻥ ﻣﻰﺁﻓﺮﻳﻨﺪ. ﻋﺴگرى ﺩﺭ ﭘﺎﻳﻴﺰ ۱۳۶۳ درﺁﻟﻤﺎﻥ مقيم شد ﻭ ﺗﺎﻛﻨﻮﻥ ﺩﺭﺁﻥ ﻛﺸﻮﺭ ﺯﻧﺪﮔﻰ ﻣﻰﻛﻨﺪ. ﺩﺭ ﺍﻳﻦ ﻣﺪﺕ ﺁﻓﺮﻳﺪههاى ﺍﻭ ﺑﻪ ﺯﺑﺎﻥ ﻓﺎﺭﺳﻰ ﻭ ﺑﺮﺧﻰ ﺯبانهاى ﺩﻳﮕﺮ ﻣﻨﺘﺸﺮ ﺷﺪﻩ ﻭ ﻫﻤﺰﻣﺎﻥ، ﺑﺮﺧﻰ ﺍﺯ ﺍﺷﻌﺎﺭ ﻭ ﻧﻮﺷﺘﻪﻫﺎﻳﺶ ﺩﺭ ﺍﻳﺮﺍﻥ ﻧﺸﺮ ﻳﺎﻓﺘﻪﺍﻧﺪ. ﺍﺯ ﺍﻭ ﺗﺎﻛﻨﻮﻥ ﻳﻚ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﻪ ﺷﻌﺮ ﻭ ﻧﺜﺮ ﺑﻨﺎﻡ « ﺳﻨﻔﻮﻧﻰ ﺍﻳﺮﺍﻧﻰ » ﺑﻪ ﺁﻟﻤﺎﻧﻰ، ﻭ ﺩﺍﺳﺘﺎﻥ « ﺳﺮﺯﻣﻴﻦ ﻫﻤﻴﺸﻪ ﺑﻬﺎﺭ » ﺑﺮﺍى ﻛﻮﺩﻛﺎﻥ ﺑﻪ ﺩﺍﻧﻤﺎﺭﻛﻰ ﻧﺸﺮ ﻳﺎﻓﺘﻪ ﺍﺳﺖ. ﻏﻴﺮ ﺍﺯ ﺍﻳﻦ، ﺑﺮﺧﻰ ﺍﺯ ﺳﺮﻭﺩهها ﻭ ﻧﻮﺷﺘﻪﻫﺎى ﺍﻭ ﺑﻪ ﻃﻮﺭ ﭘﺮﺍﻛﻨﺪﻩ ﺑﻪ ﺯﺑﺎنهاى ﺍﻧﮕﻠﻴﺴﻰ، ﺳﻮﺋﺪى، ﮊﺍﭘﻨﻰ ﻭ ﻧﺮﻭﮊى ﭼﺎﭖ ﺷﺪهاﻧﺪ. مانى از سال ۱۳۶۷ وقت خود را يکسره به فعاليتهاى مستقل ادبى و فرهنگى اختصاص داد. او بنيانگذار و سردبير ماهنامهى الکترونيکى « ادبيات و فرهنگ »- وعضو اتحاديه نويسندگان آلمان است.
MANSOUR KOUSHAN author, playwright, journalist, and director of films and plays is the artistic manager of the Sulberg Theatre in Stavanger, Norway. He has published poetry, short stories, several novels, hundreds of analytical essays and more than thirty plays.
Born in Isfahan, Iran, Mansour started his literary activities in 1968 by publishing a collection of his poetry and directing his play at Isfahan University. As a member of the Iranian Writers Association general assembly, he was on the organizing committee for the famous “134 Iranian writers declaration 1994”.
Mansour Koushan has been the editor in chief of four independent literary publications including “Takapoo” and “Adineh” between 1987 and 1997. He currently lives in Norway.
Dr. Jaleh Pirnazar received her PhD from UC Berkeley with a dissertation on “Iran’s Political Parties and Organizations in the First Half of the Twentieth Century”. She teaches Persian Language and Literature and Iranian Cinema at UC Berkeley.
Dr. Pirnazar has taught at UC Berkeley for over twenty years now. Over the years, her published research articles and papers presented in International conferences, and discussions conducted in Language teaching Pedagogy, which were presented both in Persian and English, have focused on her interests in the areas of Persian Literature, Teaching Persian to Iranian-Americans, the Iranian Cinema, and Religious Minorities in Iran.
Dr. Julie Meisami recived her PH. D. in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley in 1971. She has taught at University of Tehran, Oxford University and Agha Khan Fellow in Islamic Art, Harvard University. Dr. Meisami is the author of “Medieval Persian Court Poetry” (Princeton UP, 1987), “Verse translation of Nizami Ganjavi’s Haft Paykar” (Oxford University Press, 1995), “Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature” [ed. with Paul Starkey] (London, Routledge, 1998), “Persian Historiography to the End of the Twelfth Century” (Edinburgh UP, 1999), “Structure and Meaning in Medieval Arabic and Persian Poetry” (London, Routledge Curzon, 2003), among others.
Dr. Meisami is currently working on relations between texts/poetry/images (especially involving Majnun).
Shahryar Mandanipour is the chief editor of Asr-e Pandjshanbeh (Thursday Evening), a monthly literary journal published in Shiraz. He won the Mehregan Award for the best Iranian children’s novel of 2004 and the Golden Tablet Award in 1998 for best fiction of the past 20 years in Iran. His fiction includes the novels Ultramarine Blue; Violet Orient; The Courage of Love; Midday Moon; Mummy and Honey; The Eighth Day of the Earth; and The Shadows of the Cave, as well as the children’s books One Thousand and One Year and The Secret.
Shahrnush Parsipur began a literary career in 1974 with the publication of the novel “The Dog and the Long Winter”. She has since published several more works of fiction, including the acclaimed novels “Tuba and the Meaning of Night” and “Women without Men”. Her work has been translated into several languages including English, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, French, Malayalam among others.
Shahrnush’s other titles include, “Prison Memoir”, based on her memories of jail, and the philosophical novel “Aqle Abi” (The Blue Reason, 1989), which was published in the US and Sweden, but never in Iran. She is also the author of what might be Iran’s first science fiction novel, “Shiva Bar Baaleh Badd Neshestan” (On the Wings of Wind); and two short story collections. Shahrnush has also published widely as a critic and essayist.
In recent years, Parsipurr has held several writing seminars in US. She is the recipient of the first International Writers Project Fellowship from the Program in Creative Writing and the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. She is also the recipient of the Lillian Hellman/Dashell-Hammet award.
She currently lives in the United States of America as a political refugee.
According to Dr. Ferdowsi: “A son blinds his father, lets him die in exile, and elopes with his father’s wife. Around the same time, he dismembers his tutor and regent, and scatters his body parts all over his domain. Murder, blinding, incest—these are the classic ingredients of every oedipal story. The central figure in this saga is Shah Shoja (d.786/1384), the mid-14th century Mozaffarid ruler of Shiraz and adjacent areas. The scandal threw his reign into a downward spiral that temporarily cost him his throne. His courtiers went to work to alter the valence of the scandal by overwriting it with an edifying counter-narrative: the famous Biblical/ Koranic story of Joseph, itself long recognized as a variant of the oedipal theme. Hafez was one of these courtiers. Like other Persian courtly authors, he too invested his incredible skills in the magical alchemy of a labor of mystification to conjure up a discourse of legitimacy out of the existing and widely shared capital of the Perso-Islamic tradition.”