Mehdi Mousavi

Mehdi Mousavi is a poet, writer, editor, human rights activist, and pharmacist. He is a prominent literary figure in the Persian-speaking world and has conducted writing workshops in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. 

Mousavi is regarded as one of the leading figures in postmodern poetry in Iran. He has published twenty books, including poetry collections and novels, and has inspired and mentored numerous young artists. For more than sixteen years, he has taught literature, creative writing, philosophy, and the humanities, including through underground classes for young artists in Iran. Since going into exile, he has continued teaching online.

He has also organised literary festivals and written lyrics for Iranian singers. Many of his poems have been set to music and performed by various artists. His poetry and fiction have been translated and published in several languages, including Norwegian, English, Spanish, Dutch, and German. His most recent book is The Last Kiss, a bilingual collection of selected poems in Persian and English.

Mousavi was arrested in 2013 because of his literary work. Based on statements obtained under torture, he was sentenced to nine years in prison and 99 lashes. He escaped from Iran in December 2015.

In 2017, he came to Norway as a guest writer through ICORN, the International Cities of Refuge Network. He now lives in Lillehammer, where he actively contributes to the city’s literary community and its work as a UNESCO City of Literature.

For more information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehdi_Mousavi
http://mehdimousavi.net/
https://icorn.org/writer/mehdi-mousavi