Houshang Moradi Kermani
Writer
Houshang Moradi Kermani, writer, was born in August 1944 in a desert village in Kerman and was brought up by his grandparents in the absence of his parents. He remained in his village until the end of fifth grade. After finishing the elementary school, he moved to Kerman and once he graduated from high school, he migrated to Tehran and majored in English language. The trace of these experiences can be seen in his works, which portray poverty and deprivation with a unique sense of humor. He has experiences such as having his stories printed in famous Iranian publications. Working for the press formed his signature simple prose, one that is close to people’s daily parlance and is full of expressions used by ordinary people.
He started writing for the radio in 1973. The most famous and pivotal character of his stories, i.e. Majid, was created and gained fame during this collaboration. The atmosphere of The Stories of Majid was different from the stories that were published for children and young adults in that period. It was not political. The Stories of Majid were realistic and simply dealt with the day-to-day life of a playful boy who had his head in the clouds, loved literature, and lived with his grandmother.
Many of Moradi’s works are translated to other languages and have found their way into textbooks not only in Iran but also at schools in other countries.
Selected Works:
The Children of the Carpet Weaving House (1980), Sahab Books
The Stories of Majid (five volumes), 1979-1987, Sahab Books
The Palm Tree (1988), Sahab Books
The Water Urn (1989), Sahab Books
Mommy’s Guest (1996), Nashreney
A Sweet Jam (1998), Moin Publisher
You’re No Stranger Here (2005), Moin Publisher
Rice and Stew (2007), Moin Publisher
The Cistern (2011), Moin Publisher
The Stem End of the Cucumber (2014), Moin Publisher
Selected Awards and Recognitions:
Shortlisted for Hans Christian Andersen Awards, listed in the International Library of Munich (White Ravens), Best Book Award from the Children’s Book Council of Iran, IBBY Honor Diploma, Islamic Republic of Iran’s Book of the Year Award, Eternal Figure of Persian Literature of Iran, the Golden Moon Award of the Iranian Association of Writers for Children and Youth recognizing the best Iranian writers in two decades.