Iranian writer Azar Nafisi wins the “Story in a Novel” award

PORDENONE – It goes to the writer Azar Nafisi the 17th edition of Premio Crédit Agricole The story in a novelrecognition born from the collaboration between Pordenonelegge Foundation e Link Mediafestival of Trieste. It is announced on pordenonelegge festivalwhich launches the countdown to its 25th edition, scheduled from 18 to 22 September.

Azar Nafisi will receive the Award on Saturday 21 September, at 6pm, at the Teatro Verdi in Pordenone. The ceremony will be followed by a meeting with the public, an opportunity to present the new book Read dangerously. The subversive power of literatureout March 5th from Adelphi.

Il Premio Crédit Agricole The story in a novel was awarded over time to Arturo Perez-Reverte, Abraham Yehoshua, Art Spiegelman, Alessandro Baricco, Ian McEwan, Martin Friends, Umberto Eco, Emmanuel Carrere, Javier Cercas, Wole Soyinka, Robert Harris, Svetlana Aleksievi?, Olga Tokarczuk, Fernando Aramburu, Jhumpa Lahiri and nel ad Annie Ernaux.

“The 2024 edition – explain the reasons – goes to the writer Azar Nafisi for having taught us that when imagination and ideas are in danger, our own freedom is also in danger. From Reading Lolita in Tehran until the very end Read dangerously, Nafisi has composed a sort of autobiography that revolves around the power of books, capable of being dangerous and subversive both in the years of Khomeini’s revolution in which Islamic catechesis pointed to literature as one of the most fearsome incarnations of Western evil; and both in the difficult current times, in which novels can help us to unmask the totalitarian temptations outside and within us, and to welcome restlessness and the desire for knowledge”.

“The virtuous collaboration with Pordenonelegge brings with it another great signature of world literature – he declared Vittorio Ratto, deputy general manager of Crédit Agricole Italia – The name of Azar Nafisi enriches the roll of honor of a recognition which over the years has become an event within an event, contributing, with the power of books, to the spread of the culture of freedom and respect for diversity”.

“Right now, books are in danger – explains Azar Nafisi – We can go further by saying that imagination and ideas are in danger, and when this happens so is our reality.” Azar Nafisi’s new book Read dangerously (Series of Cases 151, €20.00, 222 pages), which appeared for the first time in 2022, completes a work started by That other world and continued with Reading Lolita in Tehran e The Republic of Imaginationexited near Adelphi between 2004 and 2022.