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Indian Persian Poet: Indians Are Unfamiliar with Contemporary Iranian Literature / The Vast Influence of the Tehran Book Fair is Impressive
1403/02/28-12:36
Aziz Mahdi stated that Indians do not know who contemporary Iranian poets and writers are, what their thoughts are, or what their works encompass. Overall, there is no familiarity with this phenomenon in India.
According to the news committee of the 35th Tehran International Book Fair, Aziz Mahdi is a prolific Indian poet, translator, and researcher with significant connections to Iranian cultural circles. He earned his PhD in Persian language and literature from the University of Tehran and has taught there for some time. Some of his published books in Iran and India include "I Am from This Kaaba" (Persian poems), "Garden of the Unheeded" (Persian poems), "My Heart is Delhi" (Persian poems), "From This Persian Sugar; Shared Proverbs of Iran and India," and "The Immortals; Common Epic and Characters of Shahnameh, Ramayana, and Mahabharata." He has also translated "Lohuf" by Sayyid Ibn Tawus into English and authored and translated the book "Modern Iranian Poetry."
Regarding his experience at the Tehran International Book Fair, Mahdi said, "During the eleven years I lived in Iran, I almost attended the Tehran Book Fair every year. The size of the fair and the participation of the general public were very interesting and impressive to me. The vastness of the Tehran Book Fair and the number of its visitors are remarkable compared to other fairs."
In response to what books from India he would like to be presented to Iranian audiences at the Tehran International Book Fair, he pointed out, "In India, we have a world of topics. For example, various fields of technology here are very advanced. Their books are truly reference material. Books in the fields of philosophy, linguistics, and interfaith dialogue in India are considered among reputable sources and are close to the taste of Iranian audiences."
Aziz Mahdi continued, "There are many areas for work and many doors that can be opened. There are potentials between Iran and India that can be operationalized; for instance, if books on Persian language and literature, poetry, stories, and other related books could enter the Indian markets, it would be a significant service to Persian literature. Unfortunately, such doors have remained closed so far, and we have a shortage of Persian language and literature books here."
Indians Do Not Know Modern Iranian Literature
The poet of the collection "My Heart is Delhi" mentioned that there is no familiarity with modern Iranian literature in India, saying, "Indians do not know who contemporary Iranian poets and writers are, what their thoughts are, or what their works encompass. Overall, there is no familiarity with this phenomenon in India. It would be beneficial if pathways were opened to translate certain books or to assign copyright and publishing matters to someone so that books could be published in India through institutions collaborating with Iranian publishers."
He continued, "If, according to agreements, the CRC files of the books were provided to Indian publishers so that the works could be published in India in the same format as they are in Iran, eliminating the cost of transporting physical books to India, it would be a positive development. This method could help promote Iranian and Persian language and culture in India. I have been pursuing this idea for years, but it has yet to come to fruition. Iranian books need to be printed and distributed in India in their original language."
Aziz Mahdi also spoke about his translations of contemporary Iranian literature, stating, "I have translated several Iranian texts that have been published in India. One of them is 'Modern Iranian Poetry,' which was made available to readers through the best Indian publisher, often referred to as the Penguin of India. This collection was in English and won the World Book of the Year Award of the Islamic Republic of Iran three or four years ago. The Indian publisher was very delighted with this book because it sold well and went through several reprints. In the second stage, I translated this book into Hindi, which was published by the Indian Ministry of Culture and is now one of their best-selling books. Although it was a small step, it made a significant contribution to introducing the Iranian language and literature in India. All great works start with small steps."
Iranian Audiences Are Also Unfamiliar with Contemporary Indian Literature
The poet of the collection "I Am from This Kaaba" noted that Iranian audiences also lack familiarity with contemporary Indian literature, saying, "This lack of awareness is mutual. I write in Persian and am in contact with university circles, poets, and Iranian writers. Therefore, I can say that no one here is familiar with contemporary Indian poets. I once suggested to the Iranian Cultural House to translate a collection of contemporary Indian poetry into Persian and present it in Iran. This work would provide a good platform for cultural exchange, but it has not yet been realized. Currently, I am independently working on a collection of Iranian short stories to be published with the best Indian publisher. It's important for books to be seen. In both Iran and India, we have publishers who print books but do not have good distribution networks. Therefore, if we aim to establish strong cultural communications, we need to collaborate with strong publishers to ensure the books are well-distributed."
In response to what works of contemporary Indian literature he would recommend translating into Persian and publishing in Iran, he said, "For example, Sanjeev Koshal writes free verse in Hindi, and his poems are incredibly powerful. I have translated some of his poems into Persian and published them in journals because his thoughts were fresh and original. We also have English-speaking poets who are prominent figures in India, whose names could be listed, and their works published in Persian. Similarly, compiling and collecting a list of contemporary Indian short story writers could itself become a book. The same applies to Iran; for instance, an anthology of the last twenty years of Iranian female short story writers could be prepared for Indian audiences."
The author of "From This Persian Sugar" added, "There are also certain linguistic limitations for Iranian audiences that can be planned for; for example, determining which prominent Indian books should be translated into Persian and made available to Iranian readers. The Iranian Cultural Houses can play a very important role in this. They can suggest books and collections for translation and financially support those active in translation or collaboration with Iranian publishers. We can translate these works in India, and you can publish them in Iran. This process can also be impactful. Indian publishers could also print the books in Iran and present them at events like the Tehran International Book Fair. Overall, translation can be one of the strong cultural connection methods between Iran and India."
The thirty-fifth period of the Tehran International Book Fair with the slogan "We Read, We Build" takes place in Imam Khomeini Mosalla from May 8 till May 18, and also online in ketab.ir .
