Iran - Andrew Burke [2]
Travel Literature
In the Land of the Ayatollahs Tupac Shapur is King: Reflections from Iran and the Arab World, by Shahzad Aziz, combines travelogue and humour in its often insightful observations of the modern Middle East.
Journey of the Magi, by Paul William Roberts, is the author’s thought-provoking, spiritual and often humorous account of his own journey ‘in search of the birth of Jesus’.
Neither East Nor West, by Christiane Bird, is an American woman’s sometimes painfully honest account of her travels in Iran, and does a decent job of getting behind the veil.
Persia Through Writers Eyes, edited by David Blow, gathers together some of the best descriptive writing about Iran from throughout history. Extracts from works by Herodotus, Xenophon, Freya Stark, Robert Byron, John Chardin, Isabella Bird and EG Browne, among others, make this like a sample bag of largely hard-to-find works.
Searching for Hassan, by Terence Ward, recounts the author’s return to Iran with his family in search of Hassan, the family’s 1960s housekeeper. However, looking for Hassan is really a subplot to a revealing look at the history and culture of Iran. Some have criticised Ward’s soft approach to the Islamic government.
The Road to Oxiana, by Robert Byron, is a classic. A vividly observed travel diary of the author’s 1930s passage from England to Afghanistan via Iran. Famous for its descriptive prose and often biting sketches of local people, its tone can verge uncomfortably close to racism by today’s standards.
The Valleys of the Assassins: and Other Persian Travels, by Freya Stark, was first published in 1934 but remains the archetypal travelogue – adventurous, challenging perceptions and illuminating reality.
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TOP 10
GREAT READS
Iran’s complex culture and long history have seen plenty of words written about them, with most authors finding the truth far more interesting than fiction – there aren’t many novels. Check out the following titles.
All the Shah’s Men by Stephen Kinzer
In Search of Zarathustra by Paul Kriwaczek
Journeys in Persia & Kurdistan by Isabella Bird
My Uncle Napoleon by Iraj Pezeshkzad
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
Persian Fire by Tom Holland
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuscinski
The Soul of Iran: A Nation’s Journey to Freedom, by Afshin Molavi
We Are Iran: The Persian Blogs by Nasrin Alavi
MUST-SEE MOVIES
These are a few standout Iranian films. For more general information on Iranian cinema, Click here.
A Moment of Innocence (1996) by Mohsen Makhmalbaf
The Apple (1998) by Samira Makhmalbaf
Bashu, The Little Stranger (1986) by Bahram Beizai
Children of Heaven (1997) by Majid Majidi
Gabbeh (1996) by Mohsen Makhmalbaf )
Offside (2006) by Jafar Panahi
A Time for Drunken Horses (2000) by Bahman Ghobadi
Taste of Cherry (1997) by Abbas Kiarostami
Turtles Can Fly (2004) by Bahman Ghobadi
The White Balloon (1995) by Jafar Panahi
WHERE NOTHING IS EVERYTHING
The warmest welcomes and most memorable experiences are often found in the little villages in the middle of nowhere. These few have at least one place to stay but are just a guide – countless more are waiting to be found…
Abyaneh
Baghestan-e Olia
Bavanat Area
Garmeh
Gazor Khan
Kalat
Paveh
Masuleh
Meymand
Toudeshk
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Other Books
As well as the books recommended in Great Reads (opposite), the following works are worth considering.
Strange Times, My Dear: The PEN Anthology of Contemporary Iranian Literature, edited by Nahid Mozaffari and Ahmad Karimi Hakkak
Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in the West’s War on Militant Islam by Mark Bowdeno
My Father’s Notebook by Kader Abdolah
The Prince by Hushang Golshiri
Tehran Blues: Youth Culture in Iran by Kaveh Basmenji
The Shia Revival, by Vali Nasr, includes an insightful and highly readable introduction to the complexities of Shia Islam.
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