Simin Dāneshvar ( fa, سیمین دانشور) (28 April 1921 – 8 March 2012) was an
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian academic, novelist, fiction writer and translator.
She was largely regarded as the first major Iranian woman novelist. Her books dealt with the lives of ordinary Iranians, especially those of women, and through the lens of recent political and social events in Iran at the time. Daneshvar had a number of firsts to her credit; in 1948, her collection of Persian short stories was the first by an Iranian woman to be published. The first novel by an Iranian woman was her ''
Savushun'' ("Mourners of
Siyâvash
Siyâvash ( fa, سیاوش, via Middle Persian Siyâwaxš, from Avestan Syâvaršan) or Siyâvoš or Siavash ( fa, سياووش), is a major figure in Ferdowsi's epic, the ''Shahnameh''. He was a legendary Iranian prince from the earliest days o ...
", also known as ''A Persian Requiem'', 1966), which went on to become a bestseller. ''Daneshvar's Playhouse'', a collection of five stories and two
autobiographical
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life.
It is a form of biography.
Definition
The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
pieces, is the first volume of translated stories by an
Iranian woman author. Being the wife of the famous Iranian writer Jalal al-Ahmad, she had a profound influence on his writing, she wrote the book "the Dawn of Jalal" in memory of her husband. Daneshvar was also a renowned
translator
Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...
, a few of her translations were "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov and "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Her last book is currently lost and was supposed to be the last book of her trilogy which started with "the lost island". Al-Ahmad and Daneshvar never had a child.
Early life
Simin Daneshvar was born on 28 April 1921 in
Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. Her father, Mohammad Ali Danesvhar, was a physician. Her mother was a painter. Daneshvar attended the English bilingual school, Mehr Ain. Daneshvar then entered the
Persian literature
Persian literature ( fa, ادبیات فارسی, Adabiyâte fârsi, ) comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Persian language and is one of the world's oldest literatures. It spans over two-and-a-half millennia. Its sources h ...
department at the
University of Tehran
The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...
in the fall of 1938. In 1941, her third year of university, her father died, and to support herself she began writing pieces for Radio Tehran as the "Nameless Shirazi". She wrote about cooking and food as well as other things. She also began writing for the foreign affairs section of a newspaper in Tehran, since she could translate from English.
Literary career
Daneshvar started her literary life in 1935, when she was in the eighth grade.
In 1948, when she was 27, she published ''Atash-e khamoosh'' (Quenched Fire). It was the first collection of short stories published by a woman in Iran, and as such gave her a measure of fame, but in later years Daneshvar refused to republish the work because she was embarrassed by the juvenile quality of the writing. Daneshvar continued studying at the university. Her Ph.D. dissertation, "Beauty as Treated in Persian Literature," was approved in 1949 under the supervision of Professor
Badiozzaman Forouzanfar
Badiozzaman Forouzanfar or Badi'ozzamān Forūzānfar (also Romanized as "Badiʿ al-Zamān Furūzānfar") (12 July 1904 in Boshrooyeh in Ferdows County – 6 May 1970 in Tehran) ( fa, بدیعالزمان فروزانفر, born ''Ziyaa' ...
. In 1950, Daneshvar married the well-known Iranian writer
Jalal Al-e Ahmad. Simin’s sister (Victoria Daneshvar) said: we have gone to Isfahan and when we have decided to get back to Tehran, there was a man, he asked my sister to sit on his side. So Miss Simin sat next to him. The next morning, I saw my sister who was getting ready to go out. I have decided to go out too. When I opened the door, I saw Mr. Al-Ahmad. They got married on the ninth day of their visit. For the wedding, they invited all of the writers, even
Sadegh Hedayat
Sadegh Hedayat ( fa, صادق هدایت ; 17 February 1903 – 9 April 1951) was an Iranian writer and translator. Best known for his novel '' The Blind Owl'', he was one of the earliest Iranian writers to adopt literary modernism in their care ...
. They rented a house and started living there. In 1952, she traveled to the United States as a
Fulbright Fellow
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
working on creative writing at
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
with
Wallace Stegner
Wallace Earle Stegner (February 18, 1909 – April 13, 1993) was an American novelist, short story writer, environmentalist, and historian, often called "The Dean of Western Writers". He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1972 and the U.S. National Book ...
. While there, she wrote in English and published two short stories. When she returned to
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, she joined the faculty at
University of Tehran
The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...
.
She had to translate many books in order to support her household, often was earning more than Jalal. In 1961, she published "Shahri chun behesht" (A city like paradise), twelve years after her first short story collection. In 1963, she attended the
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
International Summer Session, a seminar of 40 members from around the world. In 1968, she became the chairwoman of the Iranian Writers Union.
In 1969, her novel,
Suvashun, was published. Her husband died that same year, in their summer home on the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...
.
Daneshvar and Al-e-Ahmad were unable to have children, which was a topic that
Jalal Al-e-Ahmad
Seyyed Jalāl Āl-e-Ahmad ( fa, جلال آلاحمد; December 2, 1923September 9, 1969) was a prominent Iranian novelist, short-story writer, translator, philosopher, socio-political critic, Sociology, sociologist, as well as an Anthropology ...
wrote about in several of his works. Daneshvar continued teaching as an associate professor in the university, later becoming the chair of the Department of Art History and Archaeology, from the 1970s until her retirement in 1981.
Death
Daneshvar was hospitalized in Tehran for acute respiratory problems in 2005. She was released after one month in August 2005. She died at her home in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
on 8 March 2012 after a bout with influenza. Her body was buried on 11 March at
Behesht-e Zahra
Behesht-e Zahra ( fa, بهشت زهرا, lit. ''The Paradise of Zahra'', from Fatima az-Zahra) is the largest cemetery in Iran. Located in the southern part of metropolitan Tehran, it is connected to the city by Tehran Metro Line 1.
History
In ...
. (It had been announced that her body would be buried in Firouzabadi mosque in
Ray next to her husband,
Jalal Al-e-Ahmad
Seyyed Jalāl Āl-e-Ahmad ( fa, جلال آلاحمد; December 2, 1923September 9, 1969) was a prominent Iranian novelist, short-story writer, translator, philosopher, socio-political critic, Sociology, sociologist, as well as an Anthropology ...
, but this was later denied.)
Works
As an author and translator, Daneshvar wrote sensitively about the lives of Iranian women.
Daneshvar's most successful work, ''Savushun'', a novel about settled and tribal life in and around her home-town of Shiraz, was published in 1969. One of the best-selling Persian novels, it has undergone at least sixteen reprints and has been translated into many languages. She also contributed to the periodicals ''Sokhan'' and ''
Alefba''.
In 1981, she completed a monograph on
Jalal Al-e Ahmad, ''Ghoroub-e Jalal'' (The sunset of Jalal's days).
Daneshvar's stories reflect reality rather than fantasy. They contain themes such as child theft, adultery, marriage, childbirth, sickness, death, treason, profiteering, illiteracy, ignorance, poverty and loneliness. The issues she deals with are the social problems of the 1960s and 1970s, which have immediacy and credibility for the reader. Her inspiration is drawn from the people around her. In her own words: "Simple people have much to offer. They must be able to give freely and with peace of mind. We, too, in return, must give to them to the best of our abilities. We must, with all our heart, try to help them acquire what they truly deserve."
''In Language of Sleep'', a biography play which attempts to portray the lives of two great female authors, German-Romanian novelist
Herta Muller Herta may refer to the following:
Given name
* Herta Anitaș (born 1967) Romanian rower and Olympic medalist
* Herta Bothe (born 1921), German guard at Nazi concentration camps
* Herta Däubler-Gmelin (born 1943), German politician, German Minist ...
and herself Simin Daneshvar was written by Mona Ahmadi.
Publications/Novels/Books
*''
Savushun'' (1969)
**''Sou Va Shoun سووشون'' Farsi Edition, 1970
** ''Savushun'' in English (1990)
*''Selection''
'Entekhāb''(2007)
*the trilogy ''Wandering''
'Sargardāni''**''Wandering Island'' (''Island of Wandering'')
'Jazire-ye Sargardāni''(1992)
**''Wandering Cameleer''
'Sāreban-e Sargardān''(2001)
**''Wandering Mountain''
'Kuh-e Sargardān''(never published, unknown reason)
*[More info at " Kuh-e Sargardān" article, Persian Wikipedia]
**''The Israeli Republic: An Iranian Revolutionary's Journey to the Jewish State'', 2017 (Contributing author)
**''Island of Bewilderment: A Novel of Modern Iran (Middle East Literature In Translation)''2022.
Short story collections
*''The Quenched Fire''
'Atash-e Khamoosh''(1948)
*''A City Like Paradise''
'Shahri Chun Behesht''(1961)
*''To Whom Shall I Say Hello?''
'Be Ki Salaam Konam?''(1980)
Translations by Daneshvar
*''
Arms and the Man
''Arms and the Man'' is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's ''Aeneid'', in Latin:
''Arma virumque cano'' ("Of arms and the man I sing").
The play was first produced on 21 April 1894 at the Aven ...
'' by
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
(1949)
* "Enemies" by
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
(1949)
*''Beatrice'' by
Arthur Schnitzler
Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist.
Biography
Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...
(1953)
*''
The Scarlet Letter
''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym ...
'' by
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion.
He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...
(1954)
*''
The Human Comedy'' by
William Saroyan
William Saroyan (; August 31, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an Armenian-American novelist, playwright, and short story writer. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film ''The ...
(1954)
*''
Cry, the Beloved Country
''Cry, the Beloved Country'' is a 1948 novel by South African writer Alan Paton. Set in the prelude to apartheid in South Africa, it follows a black village priest and a white farmer who must deal with news of a murder.
American publisher Benne ...
'' by
Alan Paton
Alan Stewart Paton (11 January 1903 – 12 April 1988) was a South African writer and anti-apartheid activist. His works include the novels ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' and '' Too Late the Phalarope''.
Family
Paton was born in Pietermaritzbu ...
(1972)
*''
The Cherry Orchard
''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...
'' by
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
(2003)
* Works by
Alberto Moravia
Alberto Moravia ( , ; born Alberto Pincherle ; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990) was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia is best known for his d ...
and
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
, art name , was a Japanese writer active in the Taishō period in Japan. He is regarded as the "father of the Japanese short story", and Japan's premier literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, is named after him. He committed suicide at the age of ...
Translations of Daneshvar's works
*In English
''Savushun'has been translated by M. R. Ghanoonparvar (1990) and, under the title
A Persian Requiem', by Roxane Zand (1992).
*
Daneshvar's Playhouse', a collection of short stories that includes "The Loss of Jalal", is translated and arranged by Maryam Mafi (1989).
Sutra and Other Stories a collection of short stories (1994).
*Translation into Spanish: ''El bazar Vakil'', Grupo Editorial Norma, Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia, 1992. Work by Hernardo Valencia Goekel, from the English version called ''Daneshvar's Playhouse'' (1989).
*Translation into German: ''Drama der Trauer - Savushun''. Glaré Verlag, Frankfurt/Main 1997.
*In India, ''Savushun'' is translated into
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
by S.A.Qudsi.
*In Norway: "En familie fra Shiraz" translated into Norwegian by N. Zandjani. Gyldendal Norsk forlag. Oslo 2007.
*In Poland: “Dni niepewności” (
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
original: Ruzegar-e agari) and “Z prochu w popiół" (
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
original: Az chak be chakestar) appeared in the anthology ''Kolacja cyprysu i ognia. Współczesne opowiadania irańskie'' (Dinner of the Cypress and Fire. Contemporary Iranian Short Stories) which was selected and rendered into
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
by Ivonna Nowicka, Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, Warszawa 2003. Both short stories come from the book ''Az parandegan-e mohajer bepors''.
*Also Japanese, Russian, Chinese, and Turkish.
See also
*
Forugh Farrokhzad
Forugh Farrokhzad ( fa, فروغ فرخزاد; 28 December 1934 – 14 February 1967) was an influential Iranian poet and film director. She was a controversial modernist poet and an iconoclast,* feminist author.Forugh Farrokhzad died at the age ...
*
Simin Behbahani
Simin Behbahani, her surname also appears as Bihbahani (née Siminbar Khalili; fa, سیمین بهبهانی; 20 July 1927 – 19 August 2014) was a prominent Iranian contemporary poet, lyricist and activist. She is known for her poems in a ghaz ...
*
Mina Assadi
Mina Assadi ( fa, مینا اسدی; born March 12, 1943) is an Iranian-born poet, author, journalist and songwriter who lives in exile in Stockholm, Sweden.
Author
She is known for writing about controversial and provocative subjects, especiall ...
*
Women in Iran
Throughout history, women in Iran have played numerous roles, and contributed in many ways, to Iranian society. Historically, tradition maintained that women be confined to their homes so that they could manage the household and raise children ...
*
List of Iranian women
This is a list of Iranian women, of all Iranian ethnic backgrounds, including both women born in Iran and women that are of the Iranian diaspora.
Nobel laureates
* Shirin Ebadi (born 1947), 2003 Nobel Laureate (Peace)
Scientists and engin ...
References
External links
The iconic Persian writer Simin Daneshvar Passes Away in Tehran(Payvand News/PDN)
Simin Daneshvar on Iran Chamber Society''Suvashun'' at Encyclopedia IranicaSimin Daneshvar- Tehran Times
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daneshvar, Simin
1921 births
2012 deaths
Iranian translators
Iranian women novelists
Iranian novelists
Iranian women short story writers
University of Tehran alumni
University of Tehran faculty
People from Shiraz
20th-century Iranian women writers
21st-century Iranian women writers
Deaths from influenza
Burials at artist's block of Behesht-e Zahra
20th-century translators
21st-century translators
20th-century novelists
20th-century Iranian short story writers
21st-century Iranian short story writers
Iranian expatriates in the United States