A Fire of Lilies

Perspectives on Literature and Politics in Modern Iran

9789087283292

236 pages

Amsterdam University Press

Paperback / softback $74.00

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Overview

This book examines the role of Persian literature in politics in the tumultuous period of Iranian history from 1950 to 2000, illustrating how intellectuals used poetry, plays, novels and short stories to comment on socio-political developments. The unique aspect of the book is its strong empirical perspective, as Karimi-Hakkak has participated in the events he is writing about. It analyses how Persian intellectuals dealt with censorship, suppression, imprisonment, exile and even execution for the sake of expression of free speech.

Author Bio

Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak is a professor of Persian at the UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. He is also the founding director of the Roshan Center for Persian Studies at the University of Maryland.