Freedom of Expression: Interview with Author Moniro Ravanipour

Moniro Ravanipour was born in Bushehr, Iran in 1952. She has had eight books published in Iran. Her story, Satans Stones, was selected for the groundbreaking anthology of Iranian literature, Strange Times, My Dear (Arcade, 2005). Among her novels in Farsi are The Drowned, Heart of Steel, and Gypsy by Fire. Ravanipour is a member of the Association of Iranian Writers and has been invited to give readings in Austria, France (Iranian Artists Festival), Germany (Berlin Conference and the Goethe Institute), Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. From January to June 2007, she was a visiting fellow in the International Writers Program at Brown Universitys Watson Institute. In late 2006, the Iranian government purged all copies of her current work from bookstores. Satans Stones has been banned, and two other novels are currently under review by Irans Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. She is currently a writer-in-residence at the City of Asylum Las Vegas.