Mehdi Mousavi


Mehdi Mousavi, also Mehdi Moosavi, also Seyed Mahdi Mousavi is an Iranian poet, novelist, lyricist and trained pharmacist. He is regarded as one of the leading figures of Iran’s post-modern ghazal movement and is known for his socially engaged poetry and literary activism. Mousavi was arrested in 2013 along with poet Fateme Ekhtesari, and later sentenced to nine years in prison and 99 lashes. A group of poets and writers signed a petition calling for their release. He escaped from Iran in December 2015. Mousavi now lives in Lillehammer, Norway, where he arrived in January 2017 as part of the Cities of Refuge Network.

Early life and education

Mousavi was born in 1976 in Tehran and grew up in the nearby city of Karaj. He began writing short stories and poetry in childhood and published his first poems as a teenager. His early teachers encouraged his interest in literature, and by the late 1990s he had become active in Karaj’s literary circles. He later studied pharmacy at the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, where he earned a doctorate. During his student years he faced disciplinary pressure for organising underground literary workshops and readings.

Career

Two collections of poems entitled Suddenly and Beeping for the Sheep were denied permission for publication by the authorities. Many more of his poems denied publication were published online.
Most of the works by this movement has faced severe censorship by the Iranian officials, and almost all of these works were banned in Iran, and have therefore been distributed underground.
Mousavi has run creative writing workshops where he has been teaching writing of poetry, short-stories and novels. Banned from meeting in public, they would often meet in people’s homes. The workshops were regularly shut down by the Iranian authorities, who placed Mousavi and several of his peers under surveillance.
Mehdi Mousavi also holds a PhD in Pharmacy, and owned and ran his own pharmacy in Ilam, Iran, from 2012-2015.

Arrest

On December 6, 2013, Fatemeh Ekhtesari and Mehdi Moosavi had planned to travel to Turkey for a literary workshop, but they were stopped at the airport. They were told they were under a travel ban, and their passports were confiscated. A few hours later they disappeared and did not appear again until December 24, 2014, when it was known they were in Section 2A of Evin Prison. Torture and other abuse of prisoners is common in the prison, which is controlled by the Intelligence Division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. On January 14, 2014, Ekhtesari and Mousavi were released on bail. Their lawyer said Moosavi was sentenced to six years in prison for "insulting the holy sanctities", three years for "storing tear gas", and 99 lashes for "illicit relations". The amount of the bail was 200 million tomans, or about 60,000 USD.

Life in exile

Since leaving Iran, Mousavi has continued his literary activities, participating in international poetry festivals and publishing his works online. He has become an outspoken advocate for freedom of expression and the rights of persecuted writers.

Legacy

Mousavi's influence on Persian poetry is profound, with many young poets adopting the postmodern ghazal style. His works have been translated into multiple languages, and his lyrics have been performed by renowned Iranian musicians such as Shahin Najafi.

Work

Several of his poems were banned in Iran due to their critical nature, forcing them to circulate underground. The authorities refused publication of two of his collections, "Suddenly" and "Beeping for the Sheep". Some of Mousavi's lyrics have been performed by Shahin Najafi, an Iranian singer in exile.

Contribution to literature

Mousavi is best known as the founder of the "Postmodern Ghazal," a literary movement that challenged traditional Persian poetic forms by introducing modern themes, irony, and free expression. His works often critique societal norms and address taboo subjects, such as love, identity, and social justice. His poetry collections include:The Angels Have Committed Suicide I Only Publish These for You The Little Bird Was Neither a Bird nor Little
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