Afsaneh

About the Book

Whether negotiating often-treacherous paths through political and religious upheavals or threading their way through dreams and fantasies, the characters in these stories are vivid and compelling enough to challenge and surprise anyone unfamiliar with Iranian life and literature.

From the oppressive atmosphere before the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Simin Daneshvar’s Whom Shall I Greet? to Shahrnoosh Parsipour’s mesmerising story of women who blur distinctions between reality and dreams in Crystal Pendants, these tales brim with the inner lives, attitudes and outlooks of women in Iran.

About the Contributors

Kaveh Basmenji was born in Tehran in 1961 and started work as a journalist at the age of sixteen. He has translated several Western literary works into Persian, and has worked for Reuters and the Middle East Times. His publications include Tehran Blues: Youth Culture in Iran (Saqi) and several collections of essays and poems. He is also the editor of Afsaneh: Short Stories by Iranian Women. He lives in Prague.

Reviews

'There is great talent in these stories as well as great courage.'
Elaine Showalter, Literary Review