‘Good Stories for Good Children’ Released in English

Shokoufeh Books, children’s section of Amir Kabir publishing house, has released a collection of short stories in English under the title of “Fables From Afar” in London. The stories, translated into English by Muhammad James, have been selected from the popular Persian book series “Good Stories for Good Children” written by children’s writer Mehdi Azar-Yazdi (1921-2009). Azar-Yazdi wrote the title in eight volumes based on several works of literature, including “Kalila and Dimna”, a widely circulated collection of oriental fables of Indian origin, composed in Sanskrit possibly as early as the third century BC; “Gulistan”, masterpiece of Persian poet Sa’di (1213-1291); and poetry book “Masnavi-e Ma’navi” by celebrated Persian poet Rumi (1207-1273) as well as stories from the Qur’an and the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), IBNA reported on its Persian website. He once said during a ceremony by the Society for the Appreciation of Cultural Works and Luminaries in his honor in February 2007, “When I was 35 years old, I left Yazd for Tehran and began reading Kalila and Dimna, which is very difficult. However, I found it beautiful and subsequently decided to write for children. I sought neither fame nor money, I only wanted to do a good job. So I wrote Good Stories for Good Children”. Azar-Yazdi died in 2009 in Tehran and his body is buried in his hometown in the central city of Yazd. The day of his death (July 8) has been chosen as the national day of children and young adults’ literature.