Woman. Life. Freedom.

The Berlin International Literature Festival (ilb) has called for a worldwide reading of Persian literature in solidarity with the freedom and revolutionary movement in Iran to mark International Human Rights Day on December 10. Among the first signatories of the call are Booker Prize winner Margaret Atwood, Peace Prize winner Navid Kermani, Liao Yiwu (China), Amir Hassan Cheheltan (Iran) and many others.
In Heidelberg, a large solidarity event will take place at the DAI: with readings of Iranian literature, discussions about the current situation in Iran, performances, video projections, collection of signatures, and a message of greeting from Mariam Claren, whose mother – the activist Nahid Taghavi – is being held in Tehran’s Evin prison.
The special purpose of the event is to give a voice to all Iranians around the world who are taking to the streets for their freedom despite the violence of the mullahs’ regime, and who have been imprisoned and murdered. It also sends a clear signal to the Iranian regime to end violence and oppression.

The readings, some of which will be bilingual (German/Farsi), will allow the audience to experience the impressive diversity of Iranian literature: from Saadi Shirazi to Forugh Farrochzād to poems by the currently imprisoned authors Atefeh Chaharmahalian and Mona Borzouei. Authors from the UNESCO City of Literature Heidelberg will read: Marion Tauschwitz, Şafak Sarıçiçek, Sofie Morin, Magali Nieradka, Claudia Schmid, Adriana Carcu, Barbara Imgrund, Claudia Klingenschmid, belmonte, Claudia Luz and Elisabeth Singh-Noack.

The solidarity event is jointly conceived and organized by:
Veronika Haas (Literaturherbst Heidelberg),
DAI Heidelberg,
“Be Our Voice Iran Rhein-Neckar” and
Eleven authors of the UNESCO City of Literature Heidelberg.