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Like other international cities, Tehran is filled with the religious, the irreligious and the indifferent. However, for a capital much in the news, its secrets are well-guarded — parties where the kids let rip; falling in love with someone whose face is never seen; random breath-testing of pedestrians for alcohol; religious acceptance of transsexuals; needle exchanges in public parks; and martyrdom demonstrations.
In Transit Tehran, city-insiders, rappers, artists, writers and photojournalists provide essays and picture stories to bring the city to life. Contributors include Newsha Tavakolian, named Best Young Photographer of 2006 by National Geographic, Abbas Kowsari, Javad Montazeri and Omid Salehi, who have continued to document the social transformation of their country in the face of mass closures of newspapers and magazines by the government.
Things are never what they seem in the art of Sadegh Tirafkan, the new feminist journalism of Asieh Amini, and the romance Shi’a-style by new fiction talent Alireza Mahmoodi-Iranmehr. Above all, Transit Tehran celebrates the country’s long tradition of artistic and cultural resistance that has influenced young Iranians, noticeably in the work of veteran editor and journalist Masoud Behnoud, photojournalist Kaveh Golestan, premier satirist and illustrator Ardeshir Mohassess, and photographer Mohsen Rastani.
What was written about Transit Tehran:
‘Tehran is a city literally, photographically, musically, and sexually seething with tiny (and sometimes not so tiny) acts of rebellion, in which swarms of mostly anonymous young Iranians experiment with ways to test the limits of freedom. The evidence that they do so with such panache, creativity, and often courage, is to be found in this wonderful book of brilliant essays and evocative photographs. That they do so may be a cause of concern to the government of Iran. It should be the source of great reassurance to all who believe in the power of the human spirit.’ Ted Koppel, Managing Editor, Discovery Channel
‘Maziar Bahari, one of the very finest Iranian journalists still shining a light on his homeland, has coedited with Malu Halasa, a truly insightful account of the real Iran − the Iran we never hear above the hubbub of rhetoric and allegation. This is the Iran so many of us who travel there know and both admire and think about. It is the Iran that defies politics and economics and remains somehow simply Persian.’ Jon Snow, Broadcaster, Channel Four News
‘When I first went to Iran, I was mesmerised by what lay beneath its Islamic black veil: a bubbling spring of art, imagination, and youthful interpretations of culture. Now, every reader can have the experience of Iran’s double identity and sense of playfulness… and think about Iran in a new and more democratic way… this is the Iran we outside the borders need to connect with and cherish.’ Jacki Lyden, Host, National Public Radio, and author, Daughter of the Queen of Sheba
‘A wonderfully illustrative view of Iran’s young, hip and avant garde. Westerners take note: they are here and will be heard.’ Fareed Zakaria, Editor, Newsweek International
‘Transit Tehran is one long, refreshing, sometimes funny and often disturbing surprise. Too many portrayals of Iranian society are as superficial as a chador. This book looks at the body and soul of a people − a young people − who have an ancient culture that is wonderfully cosmopolitan, a recent history that is deeply troubled, and hopes for the future that are inextinguishable.’ Christopher Dickey, Author and Journalist
‘In this remarkable book, a group of talented Iranians show us their capital city from the inside out. We are shown an unexpectedly dynamic human landscape, a place full of verve and contradiction, and, one senses, great future portent, too. In their stories and their images, the authors share a sense of mournful love for Tehran which seems, much like the city itself, to be something worth cherishing.’ Jon Lee Anderson, Author, The Fall of Baghdad
Cover Transit Tehran
Read more on the back of the cover
German edition published by Salis, Zurich English edition published by Garnet Publishing, London Orders: www.salisverlag.com (German) or www.garnetpublishing.co.uk (English)
240 pages 24 x 30 cm €39.00
ISBN 978-3-905801-03-3 (German) ISBN 978-1-85964-215-3 (English)