Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books

Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times by Azar Nafisi (2022)

This series of essays reflects on the works of key modern authors such as Margaret Atwood and Toni Morrison, whose books represent forms of resistance to political tyranny and injustice. The essays could serve as a companion piece for Reading Lolita in Tehran for readers interested in exploring Nafisi’s views on literature, censorship, and freedom more generally.

Until We Are Free: My Fight for Human Rights in Iran by Shirin Ebadi (2016)

In this memoir, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and lawyer Shirin Ebadi offers a personal account of her human rights work and the severe persecution she faced by the Iranian regime for her outspoken activism in defense of women’s rights and political prisoners. Ebadi’s memoir provides further insights into the political situation in Iran and the experiences of female intellectuals under the Iranian regime.

Revolutionary Iran: A History of the Islamic Republic by Michael Axworthy (2014; Revised edition 2023)

Michael Axworthy’s Revolutionary Iran explores the political and ideological contexts of the revolution that ushered in the Islamic Republic of Iran. First published in 2014, a fully revised edition was released in 2023 to incorporate later developments and insights.

“The PEN Ten: An Interview with Azar Nafisi” by Viviane Eng at PEN America (2022)

In this interview with Viviane Eng of PEN America­—an organization dedicated to defending freedom of speech and promoting literary culture­—Nafisi discusses the power of literature against the forces of political oppression. She also discusses how being an Iranian immigrant has shaped her writing and outlook.

“Interview with Azar Nafisi: ‘Books are Representative of the Most Democratic Way of Living’” by Viv Groskop at The Guardian (2014)

In this interview, The Guardian’s Viv Groskop discusses Iran, literature, and politics with Nafisi, including Nafisi’s views on life in the United States and the enduring importance of ideas.