Into the heart of Persia
A two-month immersion into the heart of Persia. Through Shahrnush Parsipur's magic-realist prose and Asghar Farhadi's intense realist cinema, we discover the beauty, contradictions, and spirit of modern Iranian society.
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque. Known as the Pink Mosque, this 19th-century masterpiece in Shiraz is famous for stained glass that turns its interior into a kaleidoscope of light. Photo: Wide Open World Travel Archive (Shiraz, Iran)
Weaving history and magical realism, the novel follows Touba over eighty years as she seeks spiritual independence in a male-dominated Tehran. From the Qajar dynasty to the 1979 Revolution, her household becomes a sanctuary for political dissenters, mystics, and outcasts.
We chose this masterwork because it interweaves the personal resilience of a female protagonist with the historical forces that shaped modern Iran, offering a deep cultural and spiritual perspective.
Parsipur presents a courageous critique of class divisions, religious authority, and patriarchy in 20th-century Iran, using Touba's household as a mirror for a changing nation.
One film to watch
A middle-class couple separates when the wife wants to leave Iran to secure better opportunities for their daughter, while the husband must stay in Tehran to care for his father suffering from Alzheimer's.
Iranian cultural advocate and literary guide for the WOW Iran expedition.
“These two stories capture the two dimensions of Iran: the deep historical, spiritual roots of our past (Touba), and the complex, raw dilemmas of our modern urban life (A Separation).”
Shafagh Kazemi introduces Iran, its historical backdrop, and opens our reading and film focus.
Group discussion on the themes of the book and film, with a live Q&A with Shafagh Kazemi.