“Border art deals with shifting identities, border crossings, and hybridism,” —Gloria Anzaldúa  …

Prologue Traveling from Tehran to Kerman, as one approaches the province, the desert landscape becomes increasingly expansive, the villages more scattered, the sun more intense, and water—life’s essential resource—ever scarcer. The resilient inhabitants of this…

Figure 1. Portrait of Zhālah Isfahānī. Image source: Jaleh Esfahani Cultural Foundation. The poet known throughout her career as Zhālah Isfahānī (1300–1386/1921–2007) was born in Isfahan and officially registered as Itil Sultānī. In her autobiography,…

Introduction Much of what is known about Īrān‎ʹdukht Taymūrtāsh (1295–1370/1916–1991) comes from the influence of her father, ʿAbd al-Husayn Taymūrtāsh (1261–1312/1882–1933), who played a key role in the transition of power from the Qajar dynasty…

1. Introduction Half of human society is composed of women; however, the patriarchal structure of the world has historically provided them with fewer opportunities and limited access to the tools necessary for demonstrating their abilities….

Parvīn Dawlatābādī: Life and Works Parvīn Dawlatābādī (1303–1387/1924–2008) was born in Dawlatabad, a town in the city of Isfahan. Her mother, Fakhr Gītī, served as the principal of the Nāmūs School in Isfahan, while her…

To Vahīd Amīnīzādah Yazdī and their Zhīvār Introduction Pastoral poetry emerged from the contradiction between the urban and the rural, fueled by the duality of culture and nature, complexity and simplicity, the real and the…

Introduction Shahīn Hannānah, the contemporary poet, writer, journalist, songwriter, and painter, was born on Day 3, 1319/December 24, 1940, in Sari, in northern Iran, to a father from Tehran and a mother from Luristan. Some…

Introduction One significant outcome of Iran’s encounter with Western thought, beginning in the early 14th/20th century, was the emergence and growing participation of women in scientific, social, cultural, political and artistic fields. During the Qajar…

Introduction Classical Persian literature, up until the Constitutional era, is predominantly patriarchal, with women primarily objectified as beloved figures or symbols of beauty, while their roles as intellectuals or pioneers of literary styles and movements…

Introduction Is there such a thing as feminine or masculine literature?1This article acknowledges the diversity of sexual identities and orientations. However, it specifically addresses the binary categories of male and female. This focus does not…

Introduction This article explores the life and work of Marvā Nabīlī, an overlooked yet significant figure in modern Iranian art, cinema, and poetry. Known for her deeply personal and feminist voice, Nabīlī moved fluidly between…

The Constitutional Revolution marked the beginning of a new awakening across Iran, especially in Gilan. One of the most profound impacts of this political, social, and intellectual movement was the active participation of women in…