Jump to content

Ali Abdolrezaei

From Alfawiki
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Ali Abdolrezaei, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 1 December 20256 sources
Ali Abdolrezaei
Born (1969-04-10) April 10, 1969 (age 57)
Langerud, Iran
NationalityIranian-British
Other namesMouta
Occupation(s)Poet, author, literary theorist, political commentator
Years active1986–present
Known forLeading the Iranarchist party; pioneering contemporary Persian poetry; postmodern Persian literature
Notable work"Paris in Renault", "Anarchists are More Real", "Manifesto of Iranarchism"

Ali Abdolrezaei (born April 10, 1969; ) is a poet, author, literary theorist, and political commentator of Iranian-British descent, with a bibliography exceeding 70 published titles. Prior to his departure from Iran in 2001, he was acknowledged as a pioneering force within contemporary Persian poetry and literature. He serves as the leader of the Iranarchist party, a faction opposing the Islamic Republic. Abdolrezaei is also recognized by the pseudonym Mouta, meaning "wise teacher" in ancient Persian.

Early life

Originating from a middle-class family engaged in agriculture and commerce in Langerud, Iran, Abdolrezaei endured a significant childhood trauma when his infant sister passed away at age five. This event caused him to temporarily lose his ability to speak and develop a pronounced stammer. Through speech therapy, he completely overcame this challenge by age sixteen.

Education

Following his secondary education in Langerud, Abdolrezaei pursued mechanical engineering studies at Khajeh Nasir Toosi University located in Tehran.

Life and career

Abdolrezaei commenced his journey as a poet in 1986. Soon after, Iranian authorities prohibited him from teaching and public speaking. In 1996, amid President Khatami's relaxation of censorship policies, Abdolrezaei released Paris in Renault within Iran, drawing attention for its avant-garde exploration of language and postmodern themes. He accepted invitations exclusively from academic institutions for lectures, earning the moniker “University Poet.” As his prominence increased, the Islamic Republic intensified surveillance and censorship efforts against him. His works So Sermon of Society and Shinema, which critiqued Khatami and reformist figures, resulted in bans on his publications, teaching activities, and public appearances.

In 2001, Abdolrezaei emigrated first to France, then Germany, before settling in England by 2005. There he conducted poetry workshops and led the UK's Exiled Writers Ink as chairperson from 2014 to 2016. In 2014, he established College-e Sher (College of Poetry), which attracted over 17,000 participants—approximately 90% residing in Iran—connected primarily through Telegram.

During the December 2017 protests against corruption within Iran's government, students affiliated with College-e Sher were actively involved. Responding to their mobilization, Abdolrezaei redirected the college’s mission from purely poetic education toward political activism. This transformation gave rise to the Iranarchist Party, a political entity grounded in anarchist principles tailored to Iran's authoritarian regime. Abdolrezaei promotes minimal governmental intervention while advocating for state provision of fundamental public services.

He currently lives in London, England.

Work

Abdolrezaei’s intellectual contributions began with his debut publication in 1991 titled Only Iron-Men Rust In The Rain. Between 1992 and 2001, as Postmodernism gained momentum among Persian artists, he alongside a select group of poets played a key role in advancing this movement.

While twelve collections of his poetry were published within Iran, the remainder appeared abroad during exile. In 2013, following years of self-imposed exile and a thirteen-year prohibition on his works inside Iran, four recent books were temporarily authorized for publication and experienced strong demand with multiple reprints. However, seven months later these volumes were seized at the Tehran International Book Fair, reinstating the ban.

According to Poetry International, Abdolrezaei’s postmodern poetry delves into intricate themes involving language structures, epistemology, and personal identity.

Known as the “Anarchist Poet,” he is one of thirty-four global poets whose works are preserved by the British Library. His poems have been translated into numerous languages including English, German, French, Turkish, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Croatian, and Urdu.

In the 1990s Iranian literary scene, his poetry gained prominence for its sophisticated engagement with challenging topics. Reflecting on Iran’s turbulent political landscape over four decades, Abdolrezaei’s oeuvre exemplifies contemporary trends within Iranian artistic expression.

He is hailed as "one of Iran's most influential poets" and recognized as "among the most serious and provocative voices of the new generation in Persian poetry." His influence extends beyond poetry itself; he has inspired emerging writers to depart from conventional modern Persian poetic forms and fostered the Persian New Poetry movement characterized by colloquial diction and contemporary subject matter distinct from classical traditions.

Political perspectives

Abdolrezaei asserts that genuine democracy cannot be imposed from above. Around the year 2000, he delved into Anarchism and Eco-Socialism, advocating grassroots, anti-authoritarian political concepts through covert meetings and prolific digital publications.[1][2][3]

Iranarchism

The term “Iranarchism” was introduced by Abdolrezaei, who also spearheaded the Iranarchist Party (Barandazan, meaning the Topplers), established in 2017 to tackle social challenges in the Middle East via anarchist philosophies.[1][2][3] This party stands in opposition to both the Islamic Republic regime and its foreign policies.[4][5]

His Manifesto of Iranarchism, initially released in 2013 on Akhbare-rooz and subsequently on YouTube, presents the foundational ideology of the party. In 2016, Abdolrezaei published Anarchists are More Real, a comprehensive 400-page volume expanding on his anarchist vision tailored for Iran.[1][2][6]

The manifesto along with nine supplementary books articulate the fundamental tenets of Iranarchism, which closely resonate with Eco-Anarchism and Post Anarchism. Among its distinctive principles are decentralizing government by allocating departments to provincial levels to promote fair job distribution and wealth sharing, as well as instituting a referendum office designed to facilitate direct citizen involvement and guard against authoritarian rule.[5]

Abdolrezaei further advocates for a “hybrid democracy” model that merges direct democracy—featuring annual referendums to elect government officials—with indirect democracy, where representatives in congress are chosen through free elections.[5]

Inspirations

Abdolrezaei’s influences include Persian literary figures such as Forough Farrokhzad, Nima Youshij, and Ahmad Shamlou, alongside international poets like Nâzım Hikmet, Vladimir Mayakofsky, and Arthur Rimbaud. His engagement with postmodernism introduced him to the works of John Ashbery. Philosophically, he draws from thinkers including Friedrich Nietzsche, Michel Foucault, Marquis de Sade, and Gilles Deleuze. Moreover, the Post Anarchism framework developed by Saul Newman significantly influenced Abdolrezaei’s formulation of Iranarchism.

Interviews

Articles

Festivals

  • Sens Public Festival, Paris, France, 2011.
  • Platforma Festival, London, UK, 2011.
  • Acts of Memory Festival on human rights, Counterpoint, London, UK, 2011.
  • Poetes a Paris, Paris, France, 2012.
  • First International Kosovo Poetry Festival, 2015.
  • The Writers Conference, Nottingham, UK, 2015; Abdolrezaei presented poetry and engaged in discussions on censorship.
  • Human Rights Poetry Festival, London, UK, 2016.
  • The Danger of Words in the Age of Danger Symposium, London, UK, 2017; Abdolrezaei delivered a talk addressing censorship and its aftermath.

Awards

  • In 2013, Mothurt earned the title “Book of the Year” in Iran as voted by more than ninety prominent Iranian poets and critics.
  • In the following year’s contest, Lover Mover was honored as the runner-up.

Bibliography

In Persian:

Poetry:

  • Only Iron Men Rust in the Rain, Vistar, Tehran, 1991.
  • You Name this Book, Tehran, 1992.
  • Paris in Renault, Narenj, Tehran, 1996.
  • This Dear Cat, Narenj, Tehran, 1997.
  • Improvisation, Nim-Negah, Tehran, 1999.
  • So Sermon of Society, Nim-negah, Tehran, 2000.
  • Shinema, Hamraz, Tehran, 2001.
  • In Riskdom Where I Lived, Paris, 2005.
  • A Gift Wrapped in Condom, Paris, 2006.
  • Terror, London, 2009.
  • Fackbook, London, 2009.
  • La Elaha Ella Love, Paris, 2010.
  • So, God exists, Paris Publication, 2010.
  • Hidden camera, London, Pasahaftad, 2011.
  • Third wisdom, London, Pasahaftad, 2011.
  • Fantasy, Dubai, Pasahaftad, 2011.
  • Cumulus, Paris Publication, 2011.
  • Open wound, Tehran, Nakoja, 2012.
  • Why Zarathustra laughed?, Tehran, Nakoja, 2013.
  • Mothurt, Tehran, Bootimar, 2013.
  • Lover mover, Tehran, Bootimar, 2014.
  • Speed, gear, speed, Tehran, Bootimar, 2014.
  • Forgive me God but not now, Tehran, Cheshmeh, 2014.
  • New Town, London College Publication, 2016.
  • Erotica, London College Publication, 2016.
  • Spaghetti Republic, London College Publication, 2016.
  • Turtle, London College Publication, 2016.
  • Leylove, London College Publication, 2017.
  • Shernography, London College Publication, 2017.

Story and novel:

  • Hermaphrodite, Paris, 2006.
  • Messing about (short stories), Paris Nakoja, 2013.
  • The bed is my desk, London College Publication, 2016.

Political:

  • Anarchists are more realistic, London College Publication, 2016.
  • Electoral Carnivals, London College Publication, 2017.

Literary Theory:

  • The Worst Literature, Paris, 2007.
  • The soiree with no one, Paris Publication, 2012.
  • This Eternal Question, London College Publication, 2016.
  • I disagree with acceptance, London College Publication, 2016.
  • Heart Talk, London College Publication, 2016.

In English:

  • Short & little like i, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012.

Translated from Persian:

  • In Riskdom Where I Lived (28 poems), translated by Dr. Abol Froushan; London Exiled Writers Ink; 2007.
  • Turkish edition: Paris Publication; 2004.
  • Arabic edition: Paris Publication.
  • English version: Sixology by Abol Froushan; Paris Publication; 2010.
  • German edition: Zerbombt doch all das Weinen; Paris; 2010.
  • Azerbaijani Turkish edition: Cumulus; Paris Publication; 2011.
  • Turkish poetry anthology: Ölürəmsə Kim Bu Yalnızlığa DöZər?, Paris; 2010.
  • Spanish translation: That (Ese); poetry publication; 2010.
  • English translation: Hidden Camera by Abol Froushan; Pasahaftad; London; 2011.
  • Kurdish version: Hidden camera by Tayeb Houshyar; Pasahaftad; London; 2011.
  • Urdu edition: Ehtesab by Ahsan Nadim Sheykh; Pasahaftad; London; 2011.
  • English translation: No one says yes twice by Abol Froushan; London Skool; 2012.

Translation:

  • 'I need your desert for my Sneeze', rendered into Persian by Ali Abdolrzaei; Paris Publication; 2009.

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :6
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :7
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :8
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :10
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :11
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :12

Related profiles

GGémino Abad
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Ali_Abdolrezaei&oldid=93319"