Iconic Canadian author Alice Munro was also beloved by Persian readers - New Canadian Media
Alice Munro during an interview in Victoria on Dec. 10, 2013. | Chad Hipolito, The Canadian Press
May 22, 2024
News spread around the globe this week about the passing of iconic Canadian writer Alice Munro, with many media stories about her placing her name in the same revered space as literary greats such Anton Chekhov.
More than a dozen of her stories have been translated into Farsi. Among Persian audiences, Alice Munro was well known and beloved, often referred to as “Canada’s Chekhov.”
Bahman Sahami (Nima), the owner of Nima, the oldest Persian bookstore in the Vancouver area (established in 1992 in North Vancouver), says requests for Munro’s books at his bookstore have increased in the days following her death.
Alidoosti was arrested by the Islamic Republic regime when the Women, Life, Freedom movement hit Iran in 2022-23. She was released after 18 days from Evin prison in Tehran, Iran. During the protests, she posted her picture without the hijab on Instagram and expressed support for the nationwide anti-regime demonstration. The star of the Oscar-winning film The Salesman (2017) has recently made headlines due to her illness post-imprisonment. Her translation of Alice Munro’s stories has recently been requested by book readers who visit the Nima Book Store.
“She has a significant role in introducing Munro’s works to Iranian users,” Nima says of Alidoosti.
The Love of a Good Woman, translated into Farsi, is available in the Nima Book Store.
Nima highlighted Alice Munro’s mastery of short stories, and she is often compared to Chekhov.
“I think her short stories are uniquely deep in terms of emotion,” he said.
Additionally, Mani Haghighi, an Iranian director, directed a movie adapted from Post and Beam, and also met with Munro.
Munro won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 for her short stories, becoming one of 17 women to win the prize. She also won the Man Booker International Prize in 2009 and the O. Henry Award in 2012. Munro was an important member of a generation of Canadian writers, including Margaret Atwood, whose fame extended well beyond the borders of Canada.
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Hamid Jafari is a Vancouver-based New Canadian Media correspondent currently on a work experience placement with Glacier Media. This article was originally published on North Shore News.
A Vancouver B.C based journalist who writes about the Iranian community in Canada, art, culture and social media trends.
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