HAIRAN Poems of Hair and Freedom by Iranian Women in Times of Repression and Struggle
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Biographical note
Poets HAIRAN comprises a diverse cross-section of contemporary Iranian women voices. Translators & Editors Daoud Sarhandi-Williams is an award-winning, multidisciplinary filmmaker and writer of Anglo-Indian and Pakistani heritage. Previous titles include Bosnian War Posters and Ukraine at War: Street Art, Posters + Poetry. Ali Sobati is an Iranian poet, critic, essayist, journalist, and translator. For over two decades he has been one of the leading academic literary voices of his generation. Ali is currently based outside Iran. Sepideh Jodeyri is an award-winning Iranian poet and translator living in Washington DC, USA. She is the author of 11 books. Sepideh Kouti is an Iranian poet, author, translator, and editor. She began her literary career in 2000, authoring entries for the Encyclopedia of Persian Literature. Previous works include On the Heights of Despair (translation) and The Creeping Shadow of Objects. Anna Krasnowolska is a Professor and esteemed specialist in Persian literature and Iranian culture. She was Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies (1999-2002), and Head of the Department of Iranian Studies (2000-17) at Jagiellonian University. Anahita Rezaei is an award-winning Iranian writer and literary critic living in Tehran, Iran. Previous works include Silent and Quiet of Being–Not Being Days and The Shooting Right to Domestic Dogs. Abbas Shokri fled Iran in 1989 to save his life, and finally settled in Norway. He retrained as a journalist in 1995 and founded Aftab, a Persian language press which publishes censored Iranian authors. He is the author of 14 books.<p>'<em>The voice, the voice, it is only the voice that lasts.</em> Hairan is a unique, inspiring, deeply disturbing anthology of women’s furious courage and strength. Women exposing their hair in public triggered Iran’s bloody crackdown on women's protests, so the poets’ photos show only the backs of their bare heads, as if the rebel hair itself is poetry. <em>Sheherazade/ held up behind traffic lights / And murderers run away</em>. A rich, illuminating volume speaking to the history of women’s protest in Iran and the power of poetry in dark times.' - Ruth Padel</p>
<p>"It is the most extraordinary book I have read...This book comes as a work of redress, and effectively of defiance, and celebration." - Alan Riach, The National</p>
- Alan Riach, The National
HAIRAN is a new anthology of poetry by Iranian women, compiled in the face of violent attacks on life and liberty that began with the death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran in September 2022. Amini was arrested and killed in police custody for not covering enough of her hair in public. Here are 76 poems from a diverse cross-section of contemporary Iranian voices, accompanied by ‘hair portraits’ taken by the poets. Alongside Sarhandi-Williams and Sobati, HAIRAN was edited by Abbas Shokri, Anahita Rezaei, Anna Krasnowolska, Sepideh Jodeyri and Sepideh Kouti.
A hard-hitting, timely and inspiring collection of protest poetry by women from across Iran.