Karam-Allāh Sulaymānī

Kermollah Soleimani (born August 24, 1972, in Gachsaran, Iran) is an Iranian writer, poet, playwright, and screenwriter. He spent his adolescence engaging with the political and social literature of Iran’s leftist movements and was briefly imprisoned along with his father during the political crackdowns of the 1980s. He completed his higher education at Kashan University, majoring in Visual Arts (Handicrafts).

Soleimani began his literary career in the late 1990s with poetry and later expanded into prose, novels, and playwriting. His works include the poetry collection Bear’s Tears (2004), the novels Chapters in Purgatory (2009), The Damp Ones (2012)—which was shortlisted for the final stage of the Vav Prize for Distinctive Literature in Iran—and Come Sit, Plane, and Smoke a Hookah (2021).

In addition to writing, Soleimani has been active in theater, writing and directing numerous plays. Notable productions include The Spring Horse, which was featured at the 2016 Fajr International Theater Festival, and Ladybugs Around Revolution Square, whose public performances were restricted due to its themes of imprisonment and execution.

Books:

Poetry Collection: Bear’s Tears, Chevil Publications, 2004

Novel: Chapters in Purgatory, Ahang-e Digar Publications, 2009

Novel: The Damp Ones, Ahang-e Digar Publications, 2012 (finalist, 10th edition of Iran’s Vav Prize for Distinctive Literature)

Novel: Come Sit, Plane, and Smoke a Hookah, Noda Publications, 2021

Play: Ladybugs Around Revolution Square (forthcoming)

Screenplay: The Spring Horse (forthcoming)

Screenplay: The Moon’s Hiccup Behind the Cloud (forthcoming)

Theater Productions (Writer & Director):

The Moon’s Hiccup Behind the Cloud, 2014

Grandfather Went to Take the Last Name of the World With Him, 2015

The Spring Horse, performed in Behbahan, Yasuj, and Gachsaran (2016) and Tehran (2019); featured at the Fajr International Theater Festival

Crossing the Red Garden, 2017

Close Encounter in New York (a free adaptation of Reza Baraheni’s short story), 2019

Ladybugs Around Revolution Square

Soleimani’s works reflect his personal and social experiences, portraying contemporary political, social, and human concerns in Iran through poetry, fiction, and theater.