The Italian translation of the highly acclaimed novel ‘Suvashun’ by Persian academic, novelist, fiction writer and translator Simin Daneshvar (1921-2012) was unveiled at the 2018 edition of Publishers Fair (Tempo di Libri), held at Fieramilano, an exhibition and trade center in the heart of Milan, Italy, held on March 8-12.
Suvashun is the story of a family in Shiraz during the occupation of Iran in World War II. The book has sold over 500,000 copies in Iran.
According to IBNA, the unveiling ceremony was attended by Francesco Brioschi, editor of Milan-based Brioschi Publication, where the book has been printed, and the translator of the book is Anna Vanzan.
Vanzan is an Italian expert in Near Eastern Studies, specializing in the history and literature of Qajar era (1786-1925) and relations between Iran and the West. She teaches Islamic culture at IULM University of Milan, which focuses on modern languages.
Highly experienced in translating Persian texts, Vanzan's previous translations from Persian sources include Humayun-Nama (History of Humayun) written by Mogul princess Gul-Badan Begam (1523-1603), the youngest daughter of Timurid prince Babur (1483-1530), the first emperor of the Mogul Dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent.
Stating that the book's translation took six months, Vanzan noted that Suvashun is a pioneer in modern novel writing in Iran and the book can be very helpful for learning about the socio-political conditions of Iran during World War II.
Vanzan said the story's leading character 'Zari' is a symbol of Iranian women who endure the painful misfortunes falling upon their homeland and achieve a social and spiritual awareness.
"The book has been really successful in featuring the world of women. The novel is centered on two main facets: one is the never-ending battle of Zari for maintaining peace in her house; and the other is the campaign her husband Yousef leads against foreigners arrogating their land or other domestic issues," she said.
Translated into English and 16 other languages, the novel has received positive reviews in journals such as USA Today, The Washington Post and Kirkus Reviews, an American book review magazine.
"For western readers, the novel not only offers an example of contemporary Iranian fiction, it also provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of an Iranian family. Such a prospect is even more intriguing because the novel is written from a woman’s point of view, by an Iranian woman writer whose life covers one of the most turbulent periods in Iranian history," said a review of the book published in The Washington Post.
Daneshvar wrote fiction as well as essays on aesthetics and on classical Persian literature since early 1950s. It was Suvashun, however, that introduced her as a distinct literary voice to reckon with.
The novel is dedicated to her late husband, Jalal Al-Ahmad, also a renowned fiction writer. Ahmad passionately attacked the corrupting influence of western culture on Iranian society. It is not surprising, therefore, that Daneshvar also addresses this issue in her novel albeit from a completely different perspective.
From contemporary Persian literature, Vanzan has also translated Fattaneh Haj-Seyyed-Javadi’s 1995 bestselling novel ‘Drunkard Morning’ (titled 'Bamdad-e Khomar' in Persian).
