If you have ever wished to read more Iranian literature, this article is for you. In this piece, we will introduce four famous Iranian writers: Asghar Farhadi, Keyvan Bajan, Baktash Abtin, and Reza Khandan Mahabadi. Each of these writers has their own distinctive style, but they all share the same love for literature. Read on to discover their works and learn more about their lives.

Asghar Farhadi

This volume of interviews with Asghar Farhadi and other famous Persian writers offers a unique insight into the life of the country’s most famous filmmaker. The volume begins with Farhadi’s early years in television before tracing his rise to become one of the world’s most celebrated directors. The interviews are conducted in Persian but are translated into English. Farhadi describes his early days as a struggling television producer and shows us how he became a celebrated international filmmaker.

Keyvan Bajan

The American Society of Authors has named some prominent Iranian writers imprisoned in Iran as the ‘Pen/Barbey Freedom to Writers’. Keyvan Bazhan, an author of “Yesterday to Infinity Zero,” and Baktash Abtin, were among those honored. Abtin was sentenced to five years in prison on May 15, 2019. He was charged with illegal assembly, collusion against national security, and spreading propaganda against the state in relation to a book he wrote about the history of the Iranian Writers’ Association. His work has been critical of successive Iranian governments.

Baktash Abtin

Baktash Abtin, an internationally renowned Iranian writer and poet, was sentenced to five years in prison on May 15, 2019, for ties to the Iranian Writers Association. In a statement, the Iranian government accused Abtin of “illegal assembly and collusion against national security, and spreading propaganda against the state.” The charges stemmed from a book about the history of the Iranian Writers Association. The association has a long history of critical writing against successive Iranian governments, a criticism of the current government in Iran.

Reza Khandan Mahabadi

In his career, Reza Khandan Mahabadi has written numerous books and published multiple books. In 1978, he wrote Local Children. He later went on to publish a seven-volume collection of stories, “My Favorite Stories,” and a research collection about the Rasi War. He also co-authored a 19-volume fiction collection titled “Encyclopedia of Iranian Legends and Fairy Tales.”

Sadeq Chubak

The twentieth century Iranian writer Sadeq Chubak is best known for his short stories, which are noted for their intricacy and economy of detail, and their focus on a single theme. Chubak was born in Bushehr, and studied in Tehran and Shiraz, where he met many other Iranian writers. In 1937, he married his schoolmate Qudsi, and the couple settled in Berkeley, California. In the 1940s, Chubak published several short stories, including “The Death of a Mother”, as well as the novel Tangsir, which was published in Persian.

Sadegh Hedayat

Hedayat was one of the most prolific writers of the 20th century and was a prominent figure in Tehran’s intellectual circles. He belonged to the anti-Islamic literary group known as the Four, and developed a deep interest in Iranian folklore. He published collections of Iranian popular songs, Osaneh and Nirangestan, in 1931 and 1932. Hedayat’s use of popular Iranian expressions influenced younger writers, and he translated leading European authors into Persian. Hedayat also studied the Persian language, the Pahlavi language, and the Sasanian period of Iran (224-651).

Mahmoud Dowlatabadi

Born in a rural area in north-west Iran, Mahmoud Dowlatabadis stories are reminiscent of rural life in Iran. He has written numerous novels, including Missing Soluch, which won the Jan Michalski Prize in 1993. Although Dowlatabadi’s works have a wide global audience, their popularity in Iran is limited by language barriers.