BOZORG ALAVI ,CHESHMHAYASH AND OTHERS

BOZORG ALAVI,Writer and Translator
b/13 Bahman 1282/2 Feb 2003,Tehran
d.28 Bahman 1375/17 Feb 1996,Berlin,Germany
BIO AND AUTOBIO:
"I do not forget Ali Akbar Dehkhoda told Sadegh Hedayat
 you are princes of literature and we only take your crumbles"
--Bozorg Alavi

INTRODUCTON

OEUVRES:

HER EYES

LETTERS

MIRZA

SUITCASE

GILEH MAN

NARRATIVE

TERMITE

THE SALARIS

PRISON PAPERS

53 MEN

CORRESPONDANCE BETWEEN ALAVI AND CHUBAK

also translations:

THEODOR NOLDKE:IRANIAN NATIONAL EPIC

ANTOINE CHEKHOV:CHERRY ORCHARD

MAIDEN OF ORLEAN

also:

DAS LAND DER ROSEN UND NACHTIGALLEN

JREUZ UND QUER DURCH IRAN

PERSISCH-DEUTSCHES WORTERBUCH,with JUNKER

CHAMEDAN/SUITCASE

MIRZA

TERMITE

GILEH MRD

"During tyrannical era of Mohamad Reza Shah  ,the pen pals did not dare writing to me.Someone who wrote about my Farsi-German dictionary was summoned by Savak and was asked how do you know this guy and what is your exact relationship with him,while this critic who told me his story,never saw me and knew me and said:There is a new dictionary and I thought to present it to readers."--Bozorg Alavi

ALAVI'S MEMOIRS

"In all those 35nyears I spent in exile,all my time was for studying,search and research,making myself ready for teaching,and struggling with political affairs.There was no real time to spend for what I thought I know,especially as dialogue with friends and literati was not inspiring."

THE SALARIS

CRRESPONDANCE OF ALAVI-CHUBAK

PRISON PAPERS

RAVAYAT/NARRATIVE

BOZORG ALAVI,with Jamalzadeh,Hedayat,Chubak,are pioneers of story writing in Iran

They form the first wave of contemporary writers,to be continued with

Ebrahim Golestan,Taghi Modarressi,Bahram Sadeghi,Gholamhossein Saedi,Simin DaneshvarMahmud dolatabadi,Jamal Mirsadeghi,

Hushang Golshiri and....

Alavi started writing in 1307/1928.He published his first stories in Rasht and Tehran,and contributed in Afsaneh Collection of Shargh Publications, with Badsam.In his first stories,romanticism and realism are mixed,as this is more or less seen in upcoming scenes of his works.

In 1928 ,also he befriended with Sadegh Hedayat,and collaborated with him in writing SAYEH MOGHOL/Shadow of Mongol.and later on Aniran,with him and Shin.Partov.

"Before World War II,we were in a circle,often in a cafe,or sometimes in each other houses,and who ever had something in stack would bring it on.Sadegh Hedayat,Mojtaba Minovi,Massoud Farzad,,Sadegh Chubak and others were listening,and criticized honestly,and sometimes argue...Sadegh Hedayat had innovation tricks in his sleeves,and tried to make things simple and the narratives get going.Minovi emphasized on syntax and grammar.Noushin was looking for pure and clear...They were reading European works to discuss and find out their secret of success.They were challenging raw matters of life.they were discovering materials from the past to establish a new literature..."

Other writings of Bozorg Alavi are:

1310/1931: Div Div,a collection of stories with the theme of Arabs invasion of Iran

1313/1934:Chamedan/suitcase,collection of stories

1320/1941:Prison Papers

1322/1943: 53men

1329/1950:Letters,with letters and other short stories,including Gileh Mard,and Yerenechka

1330-1331/1952:Her eyes,a novel

1347/1953?: Mirza

1354/1975:Salariha

1366/1993?:Termite

1993:Passage of Time,Tus ,a memoir

1377/1998:Narrative,Negah,the last narrative ,finished in Berlin,Aban 1357/November 1978

In Narratve/Ravayat,the poet and writer tells the story of his life,and Forud,like Ostad Makan of Her Eyes is the image of Bozorg Alavi.Makan draws the eyes of a woman who is hiding the secret of a relationship.It is considered to be inspired by Ostad Kamalolmolk,life as wellin a character and multidimensional ambience,but also similarities to Hedayat,Arani and Alavi himself and other intellectuales of the time,

are undeniable.

He goes to exile during Reza Shah and dies in there.the narrator tells the story of  Farangis ,in a canvas through drawing of her eyes,piece by piece,to include life during Reza Shah Pahlavi,in short,with novelty and simplicity.Peasant houses,festivities of women unveiling,unvoluntary change of hat and suits,also heart attack and death of political protesters in prison,are among scenes,as backdrop of this story.

Bozorg Alavi's Cheshmhayash/Her eyes is a social lyric,among his oeuvres

*

During emigre fiction writing,writers such as Alavi,and contrary to Taghi Modarressi,Fereidoun Hoveida,Bahman Sholevar,did not reach  a creativity level in their second language,or the language of host society and culture.He did not discover a new dimension of Farsi/Persian,as his mother tongue,after a long emigration and exile,to incorporate them in his new life

.His writings are more challenges of an immigrant Iranian,being involved in political party and its activities.

On the other hand,Alavi,contrary to Jamalzadeh and Saedi continued writing,translating and researching in Farsi

and German languages.

Once Alavi talked about writers in exile or emigration: "I don't know where their pain is from,when they are happy,when they are overwhelmed with sorrows ,and when they are in pleasure to the state of being unable to write poems or stories...for me writing is a pastime,I mean in foreign country.When I was in Iran,I had a few hours daily to work for stipend and the rest was spenton writing.I meanI read and write,Taking note,Had dialogue with friends and exchanged our views,Observing friends and family and the other people's behavior at home or on travellings,and then there was time for daily creative works..."

*

Bozorg Alavi,who was born in Bazar Ahangaran,Oudlajan  or Chaleh Meidan,of the traditional quarters of TehranImmigrated to Germany at age 14,for studying German literature and pedagogy.He continued his studies in technical school and taught in Berlin and Tehran.He was arrested with Taghi Arani and as group of 53 men,

in 1316/1937 with accusation of political activities and sentenced to eight years prison,bur released in 1320/1941,after Reza Shah,s detronement.He immigrated to Germany in 1332/1953, back to his loneliness away from home,and taught Persian history and literature.After 1979 revolution of Iran ,and also in 1980 he traveled there for a short time and in 1371/1992 stayed  for 5 weeks.

"In a 35 years to Bahman Revolution,there were only two audacious people who wrote to me from Iran,while when I returned to Iran about 900 people visited me.There were also a few abroad who invited me to vist them or came to see me..."

Alavi who was a member of Tudeh Party,was expelled around revolution time.

Bozorg Alavi translated books into Farsi or Gernan ,as:

Literary history of Iran

History of political challenges in contemporary Iran

Rubayat Khayyam

Stories of Hedayat

Her eyes

Farsi-German dictionary

Hafez

Ferdosi

and others...

Alavi also translated stories or plays by Stefan Zweig,Bernard Shaw,Chekhov,and others.

He ,once regrettably confessed that only wrote a few short stories to publish in a magazine outside Iran,not reaching our compatriots,and wrote only once in German ,but decided not to write other than Farsi."