Fatemeh Shams

Fatemeh Shams

Fatemeh Shams (Persian: فاطمه شمس) is a contemporary Persian poet, translator^[1][2] and literary scholar living and teaching Persian literature and language in different universities based in the UK. She has taught Persian language and literature at Oxford University,where she has also studied as a Clarendon Scholar, SOAS and Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House in the United Kingdom.

Fatemeh Shams earned her doctorate from Oxford University in year 2015 in the field of Oriental Studies.^[3] Shams is mostly known for her poems and writings on political and socio-literary issues in Iran.^[4][5][6] Her poems have been so far translated into English, Arabic, Italian and Kurdish. Dick Davis, the prominent British poet and translator and Nabaz Goran, the well-known Kurdish journalist and poet have translated her works into English^[7] and Kurdish.^[8][9]

Fatemeh Shams was awarded as the best young Persian poet in 2012 by Jaleh Esfahani Poetry Foundation in London,^[10] Shams has published her well-known poem collection, 88,^[11] in 2013 which is also published in English. Her second collection was published in 2015 under the title of "Writing in the Mist" in London. Her third collection in English is called "When They Broke Down the Door" which has received Latifeh Yarshater award in 2016 for unique and groundbreaking developments in the form of Ghazal. Shams is currently a member of London Middle East Institute, University of SOAS and professor of Modern Persian Literature at University of Pennsylvania.

Early life

Born in 1983 in Mashhad, Shams started to write poetry at the age of 14 under the influence of poets such as Mehdi Akhavan-Sales, Esmail Khoi. In 2000, she won the silver medal in the national olympiad of literature and a year later moved to Tehran to pursue her higher education in the field of Persian literature and then sociology at Tehran University. Fatemeh moved to London in 2006 and completed her degree in the field of Muslim Civilisation at Aga Khan University.^[12] She later moved to Oxford University, Oriental Institute to complete her doctorate in the field of Iranian studies where she also taught Persian language and literature and published her first poems in English.^[13] Since 2009 and a result of the controversial presidential election, she has been forced to live in exile following the arrest of her immediate family members by the Iranian authorities.^[14] Life in exile, migration, politics, war, human relationships, gender issues and socio-political taboos are among the most leading themes in her works. She is currently based in London, United Kingdom.

Career

Shams has worked on various topics including sociology of death, the relationship of poetry and power ^[15] and the social history of Persian literature ^[16][17] in Iran. The history of cultural organizations in the post-revolution period as well as the role taken by the state in the literary production have been amongst her main academic interests in the past few years.^[18]

Her poetry has received critical attention from renowned literary scholars including Ahmad Karimi Hakkak,^[19] the prominent contemporary literary scholar and critic, based in university of Maryland who was the keynote speaker in her poetry book launch at university of SOAS, London.^[20]

Poetry reading

• Book Launch (88), Poems by Fatemeh Shams, SOAS, London, September 2013 ^[21]
• Poetry reading at SOAS in 2013^[22][23]

See also

• Life and Legends Fatemeh Shams, Translated by Dick Davis
• Iranian Studies
• Persian literature
• List of Persian poets and authors
• In the anxious alleyways of Tehran by Reza Mohammadi, BBC Persian
• Forough Farrokhzad and her daughters: a commentary on Fatemeh Shams's poetry by Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak, Rooz Online
• A note on 88 poem collection by Masoud Behnoud
• Blogistan: women and blogging in Iran
• Why Authoritative States Are Afraid of Sadeq Hedayat?

References

Interviews

• Poetry and Politics in Iran
• Interview on 88 poem collection
• Poetry of Resistance and Female Poets in Iran

External links

• Fatemeh Shams official website
• Poems in English
• Jackals and Stars
• 2.10.2012
• Exile Writers
• Cemetery, Revolution and the Dead