Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi MD (, also transliterated as Gholamhoseyn Sa'edi and Ghulamhusayn Sa'idi; January 15, 1936 in

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

– November 23, 1985 in Paris) was a prolific Iranian

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

. He published over forty books, representing his talents in the fiction genres of drama (under the pen name ''Gohar Morad'' or ''Gowhar Murad,'' according to Library of Congress arabicised transliteration), the novel, the screenplay, and the short story in addition to the non-fiction genres of

cultural criticism Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, attitudes, and habits of the individuals in these gro ...

travel literature The genre of travel literature or travelogue encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs. History Early examples of travel literature include the '' Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' (generally considered a ...

and

ethnography Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

. Many consider the screenplay for '' Gav'' ("The Cow"), Dariush Mehrjui's 1969 film, to be Sa'edi's

magnum opus A masterpiece, , or ; ; ) is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. Historically, ...

as it ushered in the New Wave Iranian cinema. After the 1979 revolution and his subsequent exile, he maintained an important figure in the scene of Persian literature despite the

Iranian diaspora The Iranian diaspora (collectively known as Iranian Expatriate, expats or expatriates) is the global population of Demographics of Iran, Iranian citizens or people of Iranian descent living outside Iran. In 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affair ...

of which he unwillingly became a part. Till his death in Paris, due to depression and related alcoholism, he remained one of the most prominent and prolific of Iranian writers and intellectuals internationally.

Biography

Sa'edi was born in

, Iran, the cultural and economic center of the northwestern Iranian region of

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

, to Tayyebe and Ali Asghar Sa'edi. His father, who belonged to the Sa'ed ol-Mamalek clan, worked as a government administrator. The family lived in relative poverty. His older sister died when she was eleven months old, but he grew up with a younger brother and sister. In 1941, after the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

invaded Tabriz, he and his family fled to a village. There, Sa'edi became fascinated with the culture of rural Iran. As a boy he was an avid reader fascinated particularly by writings of

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

. It was in those days, he wrote many years later, that his "eyes suddenly opened." In 1945, his native province became an autonomous socialist republic. Although the separatist state lasted only a year, it temporarily instated Azerbaijani as the

official language An official language is defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as, "the language or one of the languages that is accepted by a country's government, is taught in schools, used in the courts of law, etc." Depending on the decree, establishmen ...

in addition to inspiring the young Sa'edi. In 1949, he joined the youth organization of the outlawed separatist party, the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan. In addition to instigating villagers against large land owners, he helped edit three magazines: ''Faryad'', ''So’ud'', and ''Javanan-e Azarbayjan''. In 1953, after Operation Ajax, the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

coup d'état against the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq, he and his younger brother were arrested and imprisoned at Shahrbani Prison in Tabriz. Though he renounced his allegiances to the communist

Tudeh Party of Iran The Tudeh Party of Iran is an Iranian communist party. Formed in 1941, with Soleiman Mirza Eskandari as its head, it had considerable influence in its early years and played an important role during Mohammad Mosaddegh's campaign to nationalize ...

, he continued his socio-politically critical literary career. Although Sa'edi started writing in his boyhood, he started publishing his first short stories in the early 1950s. He published more stories through the course of the decade and his first play, ''Leylaj'ha'', in 1957, albeit under the female pen name, Gohar Morad (also spelled Gowhar Murad). After moving to

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

in the early 1960s, where he and his brother, Akbar, founded a medical clinic in impoverished south of the city, he became acquainted with the literary intelligentsia of Iran. In addition to living with

Ahmad Shamlou Ahmad Shamlou (, ''Ahmad Šāmlū'' , also known under his pen name A. Bamdad ()) (December 12, 1925 – July 23, 2000) was an Iranian peoples, Iranian poet, writer, and journalist. Shamlou was arguably the most influential poet of modern Iran. ...

, a renowned lyric poet, he befriended Jalal Al-e Ahmad, author of '' Gharbzadegi'' ("Weststruckness"), Simin Daneshvar, Parviz Natel-Khanlari, Jamal Mirsadeghi,

Mina Assadi Mina Assadi (; born March 12, 1943) is an Iranian-born poet, author, journalist and songwriter who lives in exile in Stockholm, Sweden. Author Assadi wrote her debut book, a collection of poems named ''Minas Gift'' (Armanghane Mina), at the age ...

and others. He also traveled to southern Iran, specifically areas of the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

coast, and wrote ethnographic travel literature. In the 1960s

freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...

diminished greatly in Iran. Sa'edi and other intellectuals protested the Ministry of Culture and Art policy of 1966 forcing all publishers to seek state permission to print literature. In 1968, after their protests failed, Sa'edi and other writers formed the Kanun-e Nevisandegan-e Iran ("Association of Iran Writers"). Although censorship of some of his works continued, Sa'edi continued to publish. In addition to dramas, stories, novels, and screenplays, Sa'edi participated in the publication of literary magazines,

scientific journals Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

and also published fifteen

translations Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transl ...

of European psychological and

medical literature Medical literature is the scientific literature of medicine: articles in journals and texts in books devoted to the field of medicine. Many references to the medical literature include the health care literature generally, including that of denti ...

. In 1973, Amir Kabir Publishers made Sa'edi editor of '' Alefba'', a quarterly literary magazine. However, in 1974 the Pahlavi government banned the journal and SAVAK, its

secret police image:Putin-Stasi-Ausweis.png, 300px, Vladimir Putin's secret police identity card, issued by the East German Stasi while he was working as a Soviet KGB liaison officer from 1985 to 1989. Both organizations used similar forms of repression. Secre ...

, arrested and tortured Sa'edi. Already having a history of suicidal thoughts, Sa'edi's depression loomed after his release from Tehran's infamous

Evin Prison Evin Prison () is a prison located in the Evin neighborhood of Tehran, Iran. The prison has been the primary site for detaining Iran's political prisoners since 1972, before and after the Iranian Revolution, in a purpose-built wing nicknamed "E ...

nearly a year later. Gholam-hossein-saedi

The late 1970s and early 1980s saw Sa'edi's last attempts to promote democracy in Iran. In 1977 he partook in the event Dah Shab-e Sher ("Ten Nights of Poetry") in Tehran organized by the Association of Iranian Writers in cooperation with the

Goethe-Institut The Goethe-Institut (; GI, ''Goethe Institute'') is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit German culture, cultural organization operational worldwide with more than 150 cultural centres, promoting the study of the German language abroad and en ...

.Gölz, Olmo. "Dah Šab – Zehn Literaturabende in Teheran 1977: Der Kampf um das Monopol literarischer Legitimität." Die Welt des Islams 55, 1 (2015), 83–111. The International Freedom to Publish Committee of the

Association of American Publishers The Association of American Publishers (AAP) is the national trade association of the American book publishing industry. AAP lobbies for book, journal and education publishers in the United States. AAP members include most of the major commercial ...

invited Sa'edi to New York City where he spoke and met American playwright

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

. After the revolution, he joined the National Democratic Front, a liberal leftist party founded (in honor of Mosaddeq) in opposition to the Islamist right wing led by

Ayatollah Khomeini Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini (17 May 1900 or 24 September 19023 June 1989) was an Iranian revolutionary, politician, political theorist, and religious leader. He was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main leader of the Iranian ...

. After the foundation of the

theocratic Theocracy is a form of autocracy or oligarchy in which one or more deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries, with executive and legislative power, who manage the government's daily a ...

Islamic republic The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been used for a s ...

and the execution of his friend, the playwright Saeed Soltanpour, Sa'edi fled to France via Pakistan. In 1982 in Paris, he founded the Association of Iranian Writers in Exile and reestablished the journal Alefba. Additionally, he co-founded the exilic ''Anjoman-e Te'atr-e Iran'' ("Iranian Theater Society") and wrote two more plays, in addition to several essays. Although it did not halt his literary activities, the torment of exile exacerbated Sa'edi depression and alcoholism. In 1985, after years of heavy drinking, Sa'edi was diagnosed with

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced ...

. He continued to drink until admitted to St. Antoine's hospital in Paris on November 2, 1985. On November 23, he died with his wife and father by his side. Days later he was buried, with a memorial organized by the Association of Iranian Writers in Exile, at

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

near Sadeq Hedayat's grave.

Education

In 1942, Sa'edi's started attending elementary school at Badr School. He started intermediate school in 1948 at Mansur School but later transferred to Hekmat School. In 1954 he graduated from high school and later that year entered medical school at Tabriz University (today the medical school is the independent Tabriz University of Medical Sciences). After graduating in 1961 with his dissertation titled ''Alal-e Ejtema'yi-ye Psiku-nuruz'ha dar Azarbayjan'' ("Societal Causes of Psychoneurosis in Azerbaijan"), he served his mandatory military service as a doctor at the Saltanatabad Garrison in

. In 1962 he enrolled at the

University of Tehran The University of Tehran (UT) or Tehran University (, ) is a public collegiate university in Iran, and the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as ...

(today its medical school is the independent Tehran University of Medical Sciences) to complete his medical specialization in

psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of deleterious mental disorder, mental conditions. These include matters related to cognition, perceptions, Mood (psychology), mood, emotion, and behavior. ...

, while completing his

medical residency Residency or postgraduate training is a stage of graduate medical education. It refers to a qualified physician (one who holds the degree of MD, DO, MBBS/MBChB), veterinarian ( DVM/VMD, BVSc/BVMS), dentist ( DDS or DMD), podiatrist ( DPM), o ...

at Ruzbeh Hospital.

Works

Drama * Leylaj'ha (1957) * Qased'ha (1957) * Shaban Faribak (1957) * Karbafak'ha dar Sangar (1960) * Bamha va Zir-e Bamha (1961) * Kalat-e Gol (1961) * Arusi (1962) * Shahadat (1962) * Faqir (1963) * Ziyafat, Faqir (1963) * Az Pa Niyoftadeha (1963) * Dah Lal-bazi (1963) * Entezar (1964) * Khaneha-ra Kharab Konid (1964) * Behtarin Baba-ye Donya (1965) * Chub be-dast'ha-ye Varazil (1965) * Panj Nemayeshnameh az Enqelab-e Mashrutiyat (1966) * A-ye bi Kolah, A-ye ba Kolah (1967) * Khane-ye Roshani (1967) * Dikte va Zaviye (1968) * Parvar Bandan (1969) * Ma Nemishenavim (1970) * Vay bar Maghlub (1970) * Janeshin (1970) * Chesm dar barabar-e Chesm (1971) * Aqebat-e Qalam-Farsayi (1975) * Ruh-e Chah (1978) * Mah-e Asal (1978) * Ghambad (1983) * Do Nemayeshnameh (1986) * Khayyat-e Afsun Shodeh (1988) * Mar dar Mabad (1993) * Lal-baziha (3th edition - Dec. 1353 /1975/) Stories and Novels * Aftab Mahtab (1955) * Morgh-e Anjir (1956) * Khaneha-ye Shahr-e Rey (1957) * Khane-ye Barf (1959) * Shabneshini ba Shokuh (1960) * Geda (1962) * Qodrat-e Taze (1962) * Do Baradar (1962) * Raz (1963) * Azadaran-e Bayal (1964) * Dandil (1966) * Shafa-ye Ajel (1966) * Vahemeha-ye bi Nam va Neshan (1967) * Gomshode-ye lab-e Darya (1967) * Mahdi-ye Digar (1967) * Tars va Larz (1968) * Tup (1969) * Maqtal (1970) * Gur va Gahvareh (1973) * Bazi Tamam Shod (1974) * Madkhali bar yek Dastan-e Boland (1977) * Vagon-e Siyah (1979) * Dar Aghaz-e Sofreh (1980) * Ey-vay To Ham? (1981) * Ashoftehal-e Bidarbakht (1981) * Jarukesh-e Saqf-e Aseman (1981) * Sejane (1982) * Dar Sarache-ye Dabbaghan (1983) * Kelas-e Dars (1983) * Agar Mara Bezanand (1983) * Mir-e Mohanna (1986) * Shanbe Shoru Shod (1986) * Dastan-e Esma'il (1986) * Mehmani (1988) * Sandvich (1989) * Sedakhune (1990) * Padgan-e Khakestari (1990) * Gharibe dar Shahr (1990) * Maqtal (1993) * Tatar-e Khandan (1994) * Ashghalduni (?) Screenplays * Fasl-e Gostakhi (1969) * Gav (1969) * Afiyatgah (1988) Children's Books * Kaleybar (1970) * Marand (1970) * Kalat-e Nan (1976) * Kalat-e Kar (1978) * Yeki Yekdane (1983)

Short Analysis of One of His Short Stories, ''Two Brothers''

In Two Brothers, he pictures the life of two brothers in search of a calm and free life without the presence of each other. In 1967, after a long pause the notions of Realism were started again in Persian literature, and since Sa’edi had the history of receiving medical education, he developed his characters to show human illusions in their social lives. The use of realism in his works provides readers with the chance to relate to the characters. He questions the truth between the two brothers and readers wonder who has the right to blame the other. This use of verisimilitude in Sa’edi's Two Brothers creates a division between the reality he is depicting and the one in our minds. Sa’edi was a famous Persian doctor and writer who contributed a great deal in Persian literature with his realistic point of view. With picturing inferior social facts of his time, he started a new path of realism in Persian literature. He started writing as a career by imitating other authors of his time and their styles. He was so much under the influence of Sadegh Hedayat that even attempted suicide. He changed his believes and political ideas in the course of his life and suffered a few months in prison.

Translations of Saedi's Works

* Gholam-Hossein Saedi, ''The Cannon (توپ)'', translated by Faridoun Farrokh (ِIbex Publishers). . *Gholam-Hossein Saedi, ''Paura e tremore (ترس و لرز)'', translated into Italian by Felicetta Ferraro (Ponte33).

Notes

Minoo Southgate translated Sa'edi's Tars va Larz. The title of the translation, which is preceded by a long introduction, is Fear and Trembling, published by Three Continents Press.

References

* Dastgheyb, Abd al-'Ali. ''Naqd-e Asar-e Gholamhoseyn Sa'edi''. Tehran: Entesharat-e Chapar, 1978. * Entezari, Mahyar. "Azadaran-e Bayal." ''Encyclopaedia Iranica'', 2011, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/azadaran-e-bayal. * Farrokh, Faridoun & Houra Yavari. "Gholamhosayn Sa'edi." ''Encyclopaedia Iranica'', 2012, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/saedi-gholam-hosayn * Floor, Willem. ''The History of Theater in Iran''. Washington, DC: Mage Publishers, 2005. * * ―――――. "Persian Plays and the Iranian Theater." In ''Colors of Enchantment: Theater, Dance, Music, and the Visual Arts of the Middle East'', edited by Sherifa Zuhur, pp. 87–106. Cairo: America University in Cairo Press, 2001. * Habibian, Maryam. ''Iranian Theatre in Exile: An Examination of Gholamhoseyn Sa'edi's Plays in Iran and Abroad''. Ph.D. dissertation, New York University, 1993. * ''Iranian Drama: An Anthology''. Compiled & edited by M.R. Ghanoonparvar & John Green. Costa Mesa, California: Mazda Publishers, 1989. * Jamshidi, Esma'il. ''Gohar Morad va Marg-e Khodkhasteh: Sharh-e Zendegi, Goftoguha va Khaterat''. Tehran: Nashr-e Elm, 2002. * Kapuscinski, Gisèle. ''Iranian Theatre in the 1960s''. Ph.D. dissertation, Columbia University, 1982. * ―――――. "Modern Persian Drama." In ''Persian Literature'', edited by Ehsan Yarshater, pp. 381–402. Albany, New York: Persian Heritage Foundation & State University of New York Press, 1988. * ―――――. ''Modern Persian Drama: An Anthology''. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1987. * Keddie, Nikki. ''Roots of Revolution: An Interpretative History of Modern Iran''. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1981. * Mojabi, Javad. ''Shenakhtname-ye Gholamhoseyn Sa’edi''. Tehran: Nashr-e Atieh, 1999. * Naby, Eden. ''Gowhar Murad: A Persian Playwright''. M.A. thesis, Columbia University, 1971. * Ramon, Nithal. "Gholam Hoseyn Sa'edi." ''Index on Censorship'', 7.1 (1978): pp. 40–42. * Sa'edi, Gholamhoseyn. "Iran under the party of God." ''Index on Censorship'', 13.1 (1984): pp. 16–20. * ―――――. Interview recorded by Zia Sedghi, April 5 & June 7, 1984, Paris, France. Iranian Oral History Collection, Harvard University. Available at http://pds.lib.harvard.edu/pds/view/2899130?n=1&s=6. * ―――――. "Interview: Whose theatre?" ''Index on Censorship'', 14.4 (1985): pp. 32–33. * ''Sa'edi be Revayat-e Sa'edi''. Paris: Kanun-e Nevisandegan-e Iran (dar Tab'id), 1995. * Shaffer, Brenda. ''Borders and Brethren: Iran and the Challenge of Azerbaijani Identity''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2002. * Stodte, Claudia. ''Iranische Literatur zwischen gesellschaftlichem Engagement und existentieller Welterfahrung: Das Werk Golam-Hoseyn Sa'edis''. Europäische Hochschulschriften, Series XXVII, Vol. 72. Frankfurt am Maine: Peter Lang, 2000. * ''Yad Nameh-ye Doktor Gholamhoseyn Sa'edi''. Hamburg: Sonboleh, 1996. * Jacobson, Roman. (1987). On Realism in Art. London. Harvard university Press * Sa'edi, Gholam-Hossein. (1967). Two Brothers. Tehran. * Mizan Online News Agency. (94). Who Is Gholam-Hossein Sa'edi. Mizan Online News Agency. (Online). https://www.mizanonline.com/fa/news/106689/%D8%BA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AF%DB%8C-%DA%A9%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA

External links

* Gholam-Hosayn Sa'edi
''Encyclopaedia Iranica''
* ''Gholamhossein Sā'edi'', Persian Language & Literature
Iran Chamber Society
* ''Dr Gholamhossein Sā'edi'', a Biography, in Persian

* Dr Mostafā Osku'i, ''Azā'dāry-e Gohar Morād barāy-e Ahāliy-e Bayal'' (Mourning of Gohar Morād holām-Hossein Sā'edifor the Inhabitants of Bayal), in Persian, ''Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi''
''Beh'namā''
* ''Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi-ology: Revisiting Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi, his life, works and times'', in Persian

* Lādan Pārsi, ''Twenty years have passed since Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi died'', 23 November 2005
BBC Persian
* Jamshid Barzegar, interview with Javad Mojabi (poet, writer and literary critic)
BBC Persian
(listen). * Amir-Hasan Chehel'tan (writer), ''The tragedy of being Sā'edi, a writer who did not appreciate his genius'', November 23, 2005, in Persian
BBC Persian
* Behruz Sheydā, ''Looking at the stories by Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi'', in Persian

* Khosro Sādeghi Brugeny, '' Āzar 2, the twenty-second anniversary of Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi's death'', in Persian, November 23, 2007
''Āftāb''
* ''Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi'', a Biography (containing a chronological table), in Persian
''Roshd''
* ''

's observation of Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi'', in Persian, December 28, 2006
''The Literary Society of Shafighi''
* Mohammad Jalāli Chimeh, aka M. Sahar, talks about ''Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi'', 59 min
Google
(watch). * Nasim Khāksār, talks about ''Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi'',

SOAS The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

, January 22, 2006, 28 min
Google
(watch). * Shādāb Vajdi, talks about ''Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi'', SOAS, January 22, 2006, 10 min
Google
(watch). * ''Gedā'' (Beggar), by Gholām-Hossein Sā'edi, in Persian
''Sokhan''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saedi, Gholam Hossein Azerbaijani-language writers Iranian male novelists Iranian male short story writers Iranian screenwriters Iranian dramatists and playwrights Writers from Tabriz French people of Azerbaijani descent University of Tabriz alumni Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery 1936 births 1985 deaths Iranian psychiatrists 20th-century Iranian novelists 20th-century dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Iranian physicians Iranian emigrants to France 20th-century Iranian short story writers 20th-century male writers 20th-century Iranian screenwriters Political prisoners in Iran