Farkhundih Hajizadih

Farkhondeh Hajizadeh (born 1952 in Bezenjan, Baft, Kerman) is an Iranian writer, poet, and publisher, and one of the prominent figures in contemporary Iranian literature. She is the director of Vistar Publishing and a longstanding member of the Iranian Writers’ Association. In 2003, she received the inaugural Global Freedom to Publish Award from the American Publishers Association and PEN for her “courage, perseverance, and publication of valuable works.”

Hajizadeh began her literary career in the 1970s, and alongside writing poetry and fiction, she has played an influential role in publishing, cultural activities, and advocating for freedom of expression. She is the author of novels, short story collections, and “story-report” works, including Aunt of Wandering Eyes, I Fear Your Eyes, Me, Mansour and Albright, as well as the story collections Against Democracy and Dedicated to the One Who Was Not My Killer. Many of her works have been translated into various languages.

Farkhondeh Hajizadeh is the sister of Hamid Hajizadeh, a poet from Kerman, and the aunt of Karoun, both of whom were victims of the chain murders in Iran—a tragic event that has deeply influenced her writings and activism. Beyond her literary work, she has been actively involved in libraries, cultural institutions, publishers’ associations, literary workshops, and Vistar Publishing’s bookstore, which served as a gathering place for writers and literary enthusiasts.

Hajizadeh is recognized as one of the influential voices in independent Iranian literature, with a career that combines literary creativity, cultural engagement, and steadfast advocacy for freedom of expression.