The Iranian Classic Not Seen on Bestseller Lists
Simin Daneshvar has yet to receive the same honor as Rumi and Hafez
Ever since Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie drew our attention to the lack of diverse literature in her now-famous TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” more readers have begun to take notice of unconscious bias in their reading habits. On social media, hashtags, like #diverselit, #womenwriters, #diversefiction, and #readwomen, have helped fuel a change in the way books reach readers. Well-known writers, such as Roxane Gay and Viet Thanh Nguyen, continue to champion diverse writers though their online presence. Despite these initiatives to promote works with themes that are not mainstream, our access to diverse literature, even today, is influenced by what is available to be bought, what gets reviewed and promoted, by whom, and in which outlet. In the age of increasing social media influence, official gatekeepers like governments and traditional publishers may have lost some of their hold on what gets read and what gets ignored, but a quick glance at recommendations on popular bestseller lists online suggests that we are far from a world where cultural blind spots do not exist.
Take the case of literature from Iran that is popular in other parts of the world. It is more likely that you have heard of classical Persian works by…
