Mage Publishers

01/31/2023

Privilege, along with innate gifts of intelligence and determination, shaped Houri Mostofi Moghadam in many ways, all vibrantly evident in Never Invisible.
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Drawn from her diaries, it documents the sweep of a long and eventful life as the world around her changed, sometimes for the better, sometimes bringing cruel setbacks.
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Houri was born into a lofty social stratum in Iran, a milieu of arranged marriages, overseas education for the young, financial comfort, and effective control of political power. Her father–described by her as “a learned man, hard-working, honest, and God-fearing”—was a prominent government official who served in a range of postings abroad and across Iran.
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Houri’s own exposure to another culture began when she entered a Franco-Persian kindergarten at the age of four. In later years, she would attend university (permitted for women only after reforms by Reza Shah in 1934), teach French and English in a top Iranian high school, spend time in America on a Fulbright grant, and run an important charitable organization with many international members.
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Always, however, the center of her life was her family–raising three children, running a large household, and supporting the career of her successful businessman husband.
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In mid-life, trouble arrived in many guises.
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Her marriage fell apart.
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She struggled with depression, moved abroad, bought an apartment in Paris, and, from a distance, watched in dismay as revolution broke out in Iran in 1978.
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In that upheaval, wrath and revenge was aimed chiefly at the upper class: One of her sisters and two uncles were imprisoned for a time.
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Houri did not return to Iran for 14 years.
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There, she found her house in ruins–- “nothing left of the life we lived there.” Five more times she went back to seek some restitution, always in vain. But that was her way–-a tireless fighter for what she saw as right, filling her life with activity and feeling, and brilliantly chronicling the flow of years in her diaries the whole while. Link to book in profile linktr.

11/03/2022

In 1805 Napoleon sent a delegation of military advisers to Fath ‘Ali Shah.
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They were charged with designing and reinforcing fortifications, training cavalry and infantry to European standards, and establishing a center of artillery production. He also sent geographers to reconnoiter the country, documenting routes that might be used by French and Persian land forces in a planned but never fulfilled invasion of India.
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The work of these officers has often been mentioned in passing but rarely has it been studied in detail.
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Although shifting geo-political forces ended the Napoleonic experiment, French involvement in the armed forces of ‘Abbas Mirza and his brother Mohammad ‘Ali Mirza continued.
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Despite the presence of English officers at Tabriz, the renegade Gaspard or J.B. Drouville headed to Iran, followed after the debacle at Waterloo by a handful of French officers who sought employment outside their native land.
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This book is the first detailed study of the French officers who worked in Iran between 1807 and 1826, the impact they had, the innovations they introduced, their trials, and their tribulations. 
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French military involvement in early Qajar Iran produced a host of stories deserving the attention of anyone with an interest in the seeds of military modernization in the Middle East, technology transfer in the 19th century, and the social, political, diplomatic, and military history of the Middle East in one of its most tumultuous phases.

10/14/2022

The Chinese invented papermaking, which by the 8th century had reached the Muslim world in Samarkand and Baghdad, and Spain by the 11th century.
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Much later at the end of the 18th century onwards, modern, industrial papermaking was developed by the Europeans. The History of Paper in Iran, 1501 to 1925 sets out for the reader the types of paper made in Iran during the Safavid and Qajar periods and the crucial role imported paper played in the country.
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The Iranian government attempted to introduce modern European paper production technology, first by sending students abroad to learn about this technology and then by purchasing equipment to set up a paper industry. However, during the 19th century, domestic Iranian paper production came under increasing pressure from paper imports, and the government abandoned its efforts to modernize the domestic paper industry.
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The authors, renowned scholar Willem Floor in collaboration with Amélie Couvrat Desvergnes a museum conservator of artworks on paper and books, identify and illustrate the watermarks and/or countermarks of the various paper producers and provide examples of the diversity of quality, composition, and nature of the different types of paper used by various strata of the Iranian society.
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Also provided are detailed import data, showing which country exported paper to Iran, via which routes, as well as their changing market position over time. Finally, the various end uses of paper, from books and farmans to paintings, and diverse packing and utilitarian paper are examined and, where possible, quantified data are presented. This book will reward scholars and general readers alike.
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Book link in profile linktr.ee. eBook interior in color.

10/11/2022

04/21/2022

Persians who travelled to the West during the Safavid and early Qajar period have received little attention. Persia Portrayed: Envoys to the West, 1600-1842 memorializes them in portraiture and pulls them back from historical obscurity. It brings together twenty-nine images—drawings, paintings, etchings, lithographs and even a silhouette—done in Boston, Geneva, London, Paris, Prague, Saratoga Springs, St. Petersburg, Vienna and Washington DC, between 1601 and 1842. In the days before photography, portraits commemorated their visits to distant capitals. Some of the subjects were members of Persia’s élite, some from modest backgrounds, and all were on a mission of one sort or another. Today, the images offer us rare glimpses of the dress, accoutrements and regalia that so distinguished the travelers. Subjects of fascination for both contemporary artists and a public intrigued by all things Persian, the sitters in these works left an indelible mark in the consciousness of Western observers, only a few of whom ever journeyed themselves to the Land of the Lion and the Sun. Link to book in profile.

04/13/2022

Shahrokh Meskoob was an Iranian writer and intellectual, who was born in Babol, on the Caspian coast, in 1924 and died in Paris in 2005. Imprisoned in the mid-1950s for leftist activities, he was forced to leave the country following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, after publishing two critical articles in the Ayandegan newspaper in Tehran. Meskoob’s literary analysis of the Shahnameh and the poetry of Hafez, and his book Iranian National Identity and the Persian Language, all translated into English, demonstrate his view that national identity meant cultural identity and that modernity in Iran should be based upon an understanding of the best of Iranian culture. This book celebrates Meskoob’s life and work in eight essays by prominent Iranian scholars and in a selection of facsimiles of his papers, now archived at Stanford University.

04/08/2022

Dust-Ali Khan “Mo`ayyer al-Mamalek” (1876–1966) throughout his long life, he kept journals of the rarefied and sometimes turbulent world in which he moved. Some of those records were incorporated by him into autobiography or descriptions of his grandfather’s court―its modes of governance, festivals, royal hunts, palaces and gardens, life in the harem, and much more. The Artist and the Shah includes 280 photographs from public archives and private collections. Most of the photographs are presented here for the first time in their proper context. Illuminated with the words of Dust-Ali Khan, they provide a uniquely intimate view of an era now long vanished. Link to book in profile.

06/02/2021

Another Birth and Other Poems—the best translations of Forugh’s poems—includes an introduction, letters, interviews, a timeline of Forugh's life and creative work, two essays analyzing her finest poems, and the Persian text of the poems on facing pages. Linktree to book in profile.

06/01/2021

One of the best contemporary Iranian poets translated by Dick Davis in a bilingual edition (see second slide). Linktree to book in profile.

05/31/2021

1000 years of Persian poetry by women translated by Dick Davis in a bilingual edition—brilliant

05/30/2021

Second and little known third parts of the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi brilliantly translated by Dick Davis and magnificently illustrated with Persian miniatures. (Linktree to books in profile)

05/28/2021

The Rebel Bandits of Tangestan is a deep dive into early-twentieth century history of an oft-neglected region of Iran and the Persian Gulf. It is a fascinating and well-researched account that reveals unknown details that will be rewarding to scholars and general readers alike. (Linktree to book in profile)

03/12/2021

Link to audio book in profile

02/20/2021

Brilliantly translated and wonderfully read. Highly recommend listening to this story. Link in profile.

02/19/2021

Link to audio book and bilingual edition in profile.

10/14/2020

A good time to read Evliya Chelebi’s travelogue. It’s not simply a diplomatic report, but rather a fascinating exploration of the religious, ethnic, artistic, and even culinary peculiarities of the region.

10/13/2020

One of the most important sources on the history and culture of seventeenth-century Iran.. This is the first complete translation from the Latin of the Persian sections of this seminal work. .studies

10/09/2020

English translation of thirteen German sources reporting on events in Iran from 1580 to 1722. Most of these sources are unknown to scholars either because they are hard to find or because the Gothic script and obsolete words makes them difficult to read, even for German scholars. .studies

08/16/2020

Link to book in profile

07/14/2020

For its subtlety, inventiveness, and dramatic force, the verse of the twelfth-century Persian poet Nezami has been compared to that of Shakespeare, and in the same way that Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has become the archetypal Western love story, so Nezami’s Layli and Majnun occupies an equally uncontested place as the iconic love story of the Middle East.

The works have many similarities besides their central status in their respective cultures: in both, the lovers are thwarted by their families’ opposition; in both, the heroine’s family chooses another husband for her; in both, the vehemence of the lovers’ emotion wreaks social havoc and leads to their deaths. But where Romeo and Juliet’s love is characterized by its precipitous speed, that of Layli and Majnun lasts a lifetime, and where Shakespeare gives us a blaze of incandescent adolescent passion, Nezami weaves a tale of prolonged absence, ascetic denial, and spiritual longing, as well as of man’s paradoxical relationship with the wilderness as the place where the amenities of civilization are replaced by the soul’s solitary confrontation with its own essential needs and nature.

Because of its emphasis on asceticism and absence, Nezami’s masterpiece has often been interpreted as an allegory of Sufi aspiration, and much of the richness of his telling of the tale lies in the way that it blends the psychology of erotic longing with that of spiritual self-denial, so that the poem can be read simultaneously as a tale of tragically thwarted lovers and as a mystical renunciation of the physical world and of everyday human society. (Link in profile)

04/06/2020

“I’ve reached the end of this great history
And all the land will fill with talk of me:
I shall not die, these seeds I've sown will save
My name and reputation from the grave,
And men of sense and wisdom will proclaim,
When I have gone, my praises and my fame.”
From the end of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh translated by Dick Davis.

04/05/2020

A good time to read books of Persian literature and culture from Mage Publishers. Link in profile.

04/04/2020

Illustration by Ardeshir Mohassess for the cover of My Uncle Napoleon, by Iraj Pezeshkzad, translated by Dick Davis. “The existence in Persian literature of a full-scale, abundantly inventive comic novel that involves a gallery of varied and highly memorable characters, not to mention scenes of hilarious farcical mayhem, may come as a surprise to a Western audience used to associating Iran with all that is in their eyes dour, dire and dreadful.” Link in profile.

04/04/2020

Fiercely honest, insightful, and often wonderfully lyrical, her work has earned her a secure place in the thousand-year tradition of illustrious Iranian poets. Another Birth is widely regarded as the pinnacle of her poetic work. This revised and updated edition of Another Birth and Other Poems, includes an introduction, letters, interviews, a timeline of Forugh’s life and creative work, two essays analyzing her finest poems, and the Persian text of the poems on facing pages. Forugh Farrokhzad’s poetry is as poignant today as it was half a century ago, when it scandalized Iranian society. This book brings into perspective the full evolution of Forugh’s work, from introspective reflections on womanhood, love, and religion to broader visions of modern society as a whole.

04/02/2020

As a means of banishing melancholy arising from a sense of alienation felt by Iranians through the ages, sociability has always been very important. And it has usually been enhanced by the pursuit of keyf in all the forms presented in this book. Despite the apparent familiarity of the subject matter, Persian Pleasures will surprise you.
Link in profile.

04/01/2020

A good time to read poetry and to cook. Link in profile @ Northwest Washington, Washington, District of Columbia

11/16/2019

At presenting our old and new books

09/26/2019

*A unique and captivating collection that includes short bios and the poetry of 84 women through the centuries.
*The poets are not only from Iran but also India, Afghanistan, and areas of central Asia that are now Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan, all writing in Persian.
*Before the 20th century, many were princesses, a good number were hired entertainers of one kind or another.
*In the nineteenth century we begin to see political poems, often very angry ones, by women demanding both the independence of Middle-Eastern countries from Western governments and women’s emancipation.
Includes a brief overview of Iranian history showing how women poets have been affected by the changing dynasties.
*Introduced and translated by Dick Davis, an acclaimed scholar and translator of Persian literature as well as a gifted poet in his own right.

09/04/2019

As a means of banishing melancholy arising from a sense of alienation felt by Iranians through the ages, sociability has always been very important, today more than ever, enhanced by the pursuit of keyf in all the forms presented here. Carefully researched and full of fascinating detail, Persian Pleasures takes a fresh look at a complex topic, with findings that, despite the apparent familiarity of their subject matter, may surprise the reader and give abundant food for thought. Link in bio

07/15/2019

We love the stories in this book and if you have not read them you are missing out. Available as a hardcover, kindle, or audio. We are going to publish a new collections of stories by this author in 2020. “All memoirs bring the past into the present, but only a few manage to illuminate both simultaneously. French Hats in Iran, a quietly insightful masterpiece of remembrance, belongs in that select group. Heydar Radjavi’s evocations of growing up in Tabriz in the 1930s and 1940s describe a traditionalist Iran grappling with modernity, a process as fraught with contradictions and stresses then as it is in Iran today.”

02/15/2019

Hafez, subtle & elusive; Jahan Khatun, passionate & ardent; Obayd, witty & b***y. A giant of world literature; an eloquent princess; and a dissolute satirist. New Bilingual Edition from ‪‬. Link in bio. @ Washington, District of Columbia

01/31/2019

New York Times Overlooked obituary of Forugh Farrokhzad—finally. Mage co-published with 3-Continents Press her first biography in English in 1987. And her Another Birth in 2010. @ Washington, District of Columbia

11/16/2018

Spotted in San Francisco.

11/15/2018

Looking at the falling snow out of my office window this morning

11/14/2018

Modern history of a fascinating Iranian city and province. Just published. Much new research and many never-before-seen photos from the 1900s. Check out the contents on our website link in the profile.

11/06/2018

Timeline Photos

11/05/2018

CONTENTS

PREFACE, ix

INTRODUCTION, 1

Voyages in Literature, 21 Ehsan Yarshater (Columbia University)

LOVE, WINE & ROMANCE

Continuity and Creativity: Models of Change in Persian Poetry, Classical and Modern, 25 Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak (University of Maryland)

Between the Water and the Wall: The Power of Love in Medieval Persian Romance, 55 Saeed Honarmand (Columbia University)

Wretched King Mobad Loses the War of Love, 81 Christine van Ruymbeke, (University of Cambridge)

Of Love and Loyalty: The Middle English Floris and Blancheflour and the Persian Warqa and Golshah, 99 Asghar Seyed-Ghorab (Leiden University)

What Kind of Wine Did Rudaki Desire? Samanids Search for Cultural and National Identity, 127 Kamran Talattof (University of Arizona)

Song of the Cupbearer by Mohammad Sufi Mazandarani, 173 Paul Losensky (Indiana University)

STUDIES RELATED TO THE SHAHNAMEH

Zahhak's Story and History, 199 Saghi Gazerani (Ohio State University)

Wrestling in the Shahnameh and Later Persian Epics, 237 H.E. Chehabi (Boston University)

Heroes, Husbands, and Rhino Hunters: Sekandar and Bahram Gur in the Shahnameh, 283 Sunil Sharma (Boston University)

Shahnameh-ye Naderi and the Revival of Epic Poetry in Post-Safavid Iran, 295 Abbas Amanat (Yale University)

From Scythia to Sistan: Reconciling the Shahnameh and Herodotus to Discover the Origins of the Rostam Legend, 319 Reza Shaghaghi Zarghamee (University of St Andrews)

On the Sources of the Shahnameh, 353 Olga M. Davidson (Boston University)

Shifting Allegiances: Primordial Relationships and How They Change in the Shahnameh, 363 Franklin Lewis (The University of Chicago)

The Shahnameh in India: Tarikh-i Dilgush -yi Shamshir Khan , 411 Charles Melville (University of Cambridge)

Kok Kohzad in Afghanistan: Local Knowledge and Shahnameh Characters, 443 Margaret A. Mills (Ohio State University)

Side-Saddle Tazmin, or, the Post-Shahnameh for Victorian Children, 473 Firuza Melville (University of Cambridge)

STUDIES ON MODERN PERSIAN LITERATURE

Poet and Ruler: The Case of Dastan-e gol, Lahuti's Poem for Stalin, 523 Natalia Chalisova (Russian State University of Moscow) and Leyla Lahuti (Russian State University of Mosco

10/16/2018

Join Meyer Auditorium for talk, tasting + signing Thurs. 1 Nov 6:30-8:30. Register now, seating limited https://bit.ly/2QPLDgm https://amzn.to/2P2el0o

01/21/2016

From Candy To Juleps, Persians Left Imprint On Many Edible Delights

Najmieh is interviewed in the National Public Radio (NPR) Foodways blog article “From Candy To Juleps, Persians Left Imprint on Many Edible Delights”