Bayerisches Orientkolloquium - Vortrag: "Sadeq Hedayat and Europe: A Modernist among Modernists (Prof. Dr. Marta Simidchieva, York University Toronto, Canada)

Veranstalter: Lehrstuhl Iranistik

This paper studies the germination of Sadeq Hedayat’s avant-garde novel, The Blind Owl/Buf-e kur (1936-37, Bombay), a cornerstone of modern Persian literature. It explores Hedayat’s formative years, tracing his journey from Tehran to Europe, and eventually to India where he self-published the novel. Rather than identifying specific literary influences, the study examines typological parallels between the author’s creative choices and Modernist practices. It argues that The Blind Owl serves not only as a work of fiction but also as a literary manifesto advocating for Iranian cultural reform. Drawing from Hedayat’s early writings and correspondence, the paper attends to the author’s engagement with Persian cultural heritage, its reception in Europe, and his responses to social and cultural dynamics in both Iran and France. The theoretical framework of the analysis is informed by T. S. Eliot’s critical essay “Tradition and Individual Talent” (1919) as well as the Modernist slogan of “Make It New,” as articulated by Ezra Pound’s eponymous collection of essays (1934).

Kontakt:

Werner, Christoph U. Lehrstuhl für Iranistik: Sprachen, Geschichte und Kultur Telefon +49 951 863 2178, Fax +49 951 863 2184, E-Mail: christoph.werner@uni-bamberg.de