Host: Leyla Shams
Guest: Marjan Kamali
Introduction:
- Leyla Shams, host of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation, introduces her guest Marjan Kamali, the award-winning author of the Stationary Shop.
Topics Discussed:
- Marjan Kamali's The Stationary Shop
- Recommended by the founder of Ketab Club, Kimia, as the number one book by a middle eastern author.
- Leyla shares her experience reading the book with a dozen other women and the emotions it evoked.
- Setting and Historical Context
- Unlike the common discourse about the 1979 revolution, this novel is set during the 1953 coup in Iran.
- Discussion on how the 1953 coup altered the course of Iranian history.
- Insight into how the novel shows that the coup was a significant event leading to a loss of hope and irreversible change for Iran.
- Discussion with Marjan Kamali
- The inspiration behind the novel.
- Kamali's thoughts on current events in Iran and her predictions for the future.
Recommendations:
- Leyla highly recommends her listeners to read The Stationary Shop.
- Encourages joining Ketab Club, a wonderful book club focused on Middle Eastern authors. Link will be provided in the shownotes.
