Jan Michalski Prize for Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 4 (2013) Winner
Mahmoud Dowlatabadi
マフムード・ドウラタバーディ
Mahmud Dowlatabadi
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1940-08-01 （Dowlatabad (Sabzevar), Khorasan Province, Iran）
- Nationality
- Iranian
- Languages
- Persian (Farsi)
- Residence History
- Born in Dowlatabad (childhood) → Lived/worked in Mashhad (for a period) → Tehran (theatre and literary career)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Actor
- Active Years
- 1961-
- Influenced By
- Saadi Shirazi, Hafez, Ferdowsi, Bertolt Brecht, Arthur Miller, Bahram Beyzai (theatre practitioner)
- Influenced
- Contemporary Iranian novelists, Realist writers in the Persian-language sphere
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mas'ud Salman Elementary School | — | — | — | — | Iran |
Mas'ud Salman Elementary School
Country:
Iran
Received elementary education; little formal higher education.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Haus der Kulturen Berlin International Literary Award (shortlist) | The Colonel | — | Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin) | shortlist |
| 2011 | Man Asian Literary Prize (longlist) | The Colonel | — | Man Asian Literary Prize | longlist |
| 2012 | Hooshang Golshiri Literary Award (Lifetime Achievement) | — | Lifetime Achievement | Hooshang Golshiri Literary Award | recipient |
| 2013 | Jan Michalski Prize for Literature | The Colonel | — | Jan Michalski Foundation | winner |
| 2014 | Legion of Honour | — | — | Government of France | recipient |
Haus der Kulturen Berlin International Literary Award (shortlist)
2009
Work:
The Colonel
Organization:
Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin)
Result:
shortlist
Man Asian Literary Prize (longlist)
2011
Work:
The Colonel
Organization:
Man Asian Literary Prize
Result:
longlist
Hooshang Golshiri Literary Award (Lifetime Achievement)
2012
Category:
Lifetime Achievement
Organization:
Hooshang Golshiri Literary Award
Result:
recipient
Jan Michalski Prize for Literature
2013
Work:
The Colonel
Organization:
Jan Michalski Foundation
Result:
winner
Legion of Honour
2014
Organization:
Government of France
Result:
recipient
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Kelidar
1984 Novel / Saga 2590 pagesA vast saga centered on a Kurdish nomadic family, portraying political and social upheavals alongside everyday life. A ten-volume epic completed after many years of work, totaling some 2,590 pages.
landfamilypolitical upheavalrural life
Translations
- German translation by Sigrid Lutfi (Unionsverlag, 1999)
- Central Kurdish translation (Iraqi Kurdistan), Siyaamand Shaasawaaree (Sardam, 2012)
Missing Soluch
1979 NovelTells the story of an impoverished woman raising her children in an isolated village after her husband's unexplained disappearance. Rooted in childhood stories and the author's prison reflections, it examines poverty and human dignity. It was the author's first work translated into English.
povertywomencommunity and isolationsurvival
Translations
- English translation by Kamran Rastegar (2007)
- Swedish translation by Stefan Lindgren (Ordfront, 1999)
- Norwegian translation by N. Zandjani (Solum forlag, 2008)
The Colonel
2009 NovelBegins on a rainy night when policemen summon a colonel to attend to the tortured body of his daughter; a novel about nation, history, and family. It deals with post-revolutionary violence and memory and was long unpublished in Iran.
violencememoryhistoryfamily
Adaptations
- [Opera] Der Colonel (opera) / Siamak Fallahi（作曲）、Angelika Messner（台本） (2018)
Translations
- English translation by Tom Patterdale (2012)
- German translation by Bahman Nirumand (Unionsverlag, 2009)
- Italian translation (Il Colonnello) by Tom Patterdale (early 2010s)
- Hebrew translation by Orly Noy (Am Oved, 2012)
Thirst
2018 Novel (on the Iran–Iraq War)A novel about the Iran–Iraq War told from the perspectives of an Iranian and an Iraqi writer. The Persian title references the supplication 'besmel,' whose ritual meaning resonates throughout the text.
warmemoryfaithsacrifice
Translations
- English translation by Martin E. Weir (2014)
Bibliography
- At the End of the Night (short story) - 1961
- Missing Soluch - 1979 (novel)
- Kelidar - 1984 (10 volumes)
- The Colonel - 2009 (novel)
- Thirst - 2018 (novel)
- Horses and Horses, Next to Each Other - 2020 (autobiographical)
Adaptations
- Safarnameh Sistan (documentary by Ali Zare Ghanat Nowi) — a free adaptation based on Dowlatabadi's Meet the Baloch People
- Opera adaptation of The Colonel (Der Colonel, 2018)
Translations of Works
- Missing Soluch — English (Kamran Rastegar, 2007); Swedish (Stefan Lindgren, 1999)
- The Colonel — English (Tom Patterdale, 2012); German (Bahman Nirumand, 2009)
- Kelidar — German (Sigrid Lutfi, 1999); Central Kurdish (Siyaamand Shaasawaaree, 2012)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Realist narrative styleUse of colloquial and folkloric languageEpic, large-scale narrative structures
- Recurring Motifs
- land and laborpoverty and survivalfamily bonds and disintegrationmemory and historical inheritance
Legacy
Dowlatabadi is regarded as a major figure in contemporary Iranian literature, praised for his rich Persian language and realist depictions of rural life. He has received international recognition through translations and literary awards.
In Popular Culture
- In 2014 Iran issued a commemorative postage stamp.
- The novel The Colonel inspired an opera and influenced performing arts.
Quotes
-
'The story of Missing Soluch came to me all at once, and I had to write this book. I wrote it in 70 nights after I was released.'
Source: Interview (e.g., Vimeo interview)
Trivia
- In youth he worked as a shoemaker, barber, and cinema ticket-taker among other jobs.
- Missing Soluch was reportedly written in 70 nights after his release from prison.
- A commemorative postage stamp was issued in Iran in 2014.