“Hormesgah Gan Zenik”; A Narrative of the Lived Experiences of Women in Kurdistan

Fouzieh Besharat, the first female writer in the Gurani language and a native of Bijar, has garnered the attention of readers and critics with her works in the field of indigenous literature in Kurdistan. Her novel “Hormesgah Gan Zenik” (A Woman’s Tears), in addition to winning the Mehragan Award, showcases the author’s ability to create female-centric stories that are tangible and rich in cultural experiences. This interview is a journey behind the creation of Besharat’s works, the novel writing process, the experience of her mother tongue, and her path to success in contemporary Kurdish literature.

Besharat’s literature, from her very first works, has been shaped around the lived experiences of women and the social fabric of the Garoos region; experiences that flow through the linguistic, visual, and emotional layers of her narratives. What distinguishes her works is the combination of a female perspective with storytelling deeply rooted in indigenous culture; a narrative that neither halts at the role of a victim nor becomes trapped in stereotypical frameworks of women’s literature. Besharat, relying on her mother tongue, creates a world where both life flows and the hidden history of a region exists.

In the forthcoming interview, Fouzieh Besharat discussed the why and how of writing “Hormesgah Gan Zenik,” the choice of Gurani as the language of narrative, the place of women in her fictional world, and the experience of receiving the Mehragan Award; a narrative from behind the scenes of creating a novel that has found a special place among critics and audiences.

Regarding the development process of the novel “Hormesgah Gan Zenik” (A Woman’s Tears), Fouzieh Besharat told a correspondent from the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA): “The initial idea began with an image that constantly recurred in my mind; a lonely woman in a corner of the world, suspended between hope and collapse, yet still standing. From that image, the story was born; a story that reflects both the female experience and the wounds and beauties of my homeland’s culture.”

She further elaborated on her mother tongue: “Writing in Gurani is not a choice for me, but a necessity. My mother tongue is the only language in which words have life, they have feeling. When I write, words transcend my personal space and reach my inner world. In the mother tongue, the writer does not conceal herself, but rather reveals herself.”

Besharat, who has written four novels to date, added: “Each work is a new experience in finding a voice. From my first novel until now, I have always sought a language that is feminine yet does not preach; that is indigenous yet remains unconfined. In essence, each book for me is an exercise in understanding myself and the world.”

This author spoke about the theme of “A Woman’s Tears” novel: “The female protagonist of the novel is a woman caught between two poles: fear and hope. She is neither a victim nor a myth. She is a human being with all her complexities. For me, a woman is a metaphor for the continuity of life and collective memory. When I write about women, I am, in fact, speaking about the roots and continuation of life.”

Besharat recalled about writing in Gurani: “This language possesses a special music, like the pulse of the earth, yet writing in it is not simple. A balance must be struck between loyalty to the language’s authenticity and freedom in creation. I have lived for every word and sometimes recreated it anew.”

She characterized receiving the “Mehragan Adab” award for this novel not as the culmination of her journey, but as a recognition of her work, adding: “This award confirmed for me that indigenous and feminine literature can gain national attention. But frankly, awards have never been my goal; for me, writing is a way of living, not a competition.”

Besharat emphasized to young writers: “Trust your own language, your own experiences. The world is not waiting for a repeated voice; it awaits a voice that has risen from the heart of life. Writing means steadfastness, it means documenting the trace of a woman who refused to remain silent.”

“Hormesgah Gan Zenik” can be considered a turning point in Besharat’s literary career; a novel that demonstrates new maturity in her writing, both in terms of structure and character development. The Mehragan Award also affirms that indigenous literature, when imbued with sincerity, precise world-building, and profound narrative, can deeply affect a wider audience. Besharat, as the first female novelist in the Gurani language in recent years, has cemented her position as one of the important voices of contemporary Kurdish literature, and her efforts to expand female narratives in her mother tongue have paved a new path for young generation writers.

Fouzieh Besharat, born in 1970, is one of the first women to write stories in Gurani Kurdish, and her works have been published in Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan, and Germany. Among her works are “Dance of Fire in Black Sand” (1997), “Hormesgah Gan Zenik” (1999), and the novel “Dance of Destiny” (2001).