Jafar Panahi Among Contenders for the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or
The Cannes Film Festival announced its lineup late last week, and said the Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi -- who is not allowed to leave Iran or to make movies -- was a contender for...
Iran-Saudi Rivalry: How Far Does It Go? Interview with Author Simon Mabon
Simon Mabon is a lecturer in international relations at Lancaster University in the U.K. His book "Saudi Arabia and Iran: Soft Power Rivalry in the Middle East," which is currently being updated, is a...
Persian ‘Supper Club’ Pops Up in London, With Chelo Kabob on the Menu
By Tara Biglari
Canadian-born Leila Mozun is a marketing guru by day and a chef by night. Late last month, on the Sunday after Norouz (the Persian New Year), she debuted her ‘Caspian Kitchen Supper...
Abbas Amanat’s Engaging History of Iran: Book Review
By Ariane Moshiri
Abbas Amanat's "Iran: A Modern History" is the culmination of decades of patient and careful scholarship. For those who may be intimidated by the 1,000-page opus, Amanat writes in engaging prose, and offers...
Prayer Stones and Patterns: Interview with Artist Sepideh Salehi
By Fred Parvaneh
Iranian artist Sepideh Salehi creates paintings, photographs and videos that reflect her experiences as an Iranian artist living and working in the West.
Born in Tehran, Sepideh had a passion for painting from...
First Exhibition of Persian Decorative Art Opens in Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s first and most comprehensive exhibition of Persian decorative arts has just opened at the Liang Yi Museum, coinciding with the start of the Persian New Year.
“The Blue Road: Mastercrafts from Persia” showcases...
Sixteen-Year-Old Underachiever is Hero of Arvin Ahmadi’s Debut Novel
By Fred Parvaneh
“Down and Across,” published by Penguin Random House, is the debut novel by Iranian-American Arvin Ahmadi: a coming-of-age story of grit and self-discovery that follows Scott Ferdowsi, a high-school student with a...
All About Nowruz: The Persian New Year
Nowruz marks the start of a New Year for over 300 million people around the world –foremost among them the people of Iran, for whom it is the most important festive occasion of the...
Historic Shiraz Homes Are Wrecked in Shah Cheraq Mosque Expansion
Mehdi Hajati, a member of the Shiraz City Council, has posted video footage on his Twitter page showing the demolition of historic homes around the Shah Cheraq funerary monument and mosque (dating back to...
Nowruz Events in Europe
By Tara Biglari
Nowruz, the Persian New Year, marks the first day of spring and is an Iranian word that translates as "New Day." The holiday is celebrated by Iranians across the globe with week-long...
