Journalistic Criticism Focuses on the General Public, is Vibrant and Popular
Literary Service of Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) – Marzieh Negahban Marvi: Kazem Sadat Ashkouri, a poet, researcher, and veteran in the field of literary journalism and book reviewing in newspapers, was born in 1938 in Narneh, Eshkevar, Gilan. Ashkouri entered the literary scene in the 1950s by writing for ‘Ashna’ magazine, edited by Ahmad Shamlou, and later gained a lasting position by publishing about 50 books in the fields of poetry, fiction, and anthropology; works such as ‘Beyond the Horizon’, ‘One Hour Out of 24 Hours’, ‘Research on Rural Housing in Northern Iran’, ‘Messenger of Cloudy Days’, and ‘Pilgrim of Unknown Springs’, each signifying an aspect of his literary and research activities.
Recently, this well-known figure visited the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), and the atmosphere of the editorial office and the enthusiastic gaze of the reporters rekindled the flame of that old passion within him. Among the editorial desks, he once again felt how words could transform the human world. This visit was not just a review of memories for him; it was a moment when his spirit was rejuvenated, and his old love for books and writing flared up again, like in the early days. During this visit, we sat down for an interview with him. What you are reading is the result of this intimate conversation:
Number of Books and Special Writing Style
Kazem Sadat Ashkouri said about what he is currently compiling: I usually publish one or several books every year. In total, I have approximately fifty book titles. I also have a new book in progress; about twenty sections have been written, and it is progressing with a special method. I always try to make my works, especially books, innovative and do something that few others have done.
Memoirs as Independent Articles
He continued: My new book is a type of memoir or biography, but unlike usual methods, I don’t start from birth and early events. I search through my past memories and choose the parts that have been more prominent or interesting to me—whether sad or joyful—and write each of them like an independent article.
Publication in ‘Avaye Amlash’
Ashkouri added: About ten writings from this collection have been published in the local magazine ‘Avaye Amlash’. For a small city, the existence of such a magazine with valuable content is very interesting. This magazine is now published quarterly, and its editor-in-chief and concessionaire is a doctor from the same area. My last writing in that magazine was about Mahmoud Payandeh Langeroudi.
Memories of the North and Presence on Instagram
Regarding his memories, he said: I have many memories; perhaps eighty or ninety writings are about the north and its people. Some are also about the villages of Gilan. I published a few teenage memories on Instagram. Almost all of my Instagram content is related to books; even the photos I post are all of literary figures. Recently, to encourage readers, I posted one of these memories in four parts, the last part of which has now been published and is being followed.
Reception of Publications in the Past and Present
The author of ‘Messenger of Cloudy Days’ stated: Today, we have eight million university students in Iran. When I was a student, there might not have been even thirty thousand; but most students had a magazine or newspaper in their hands. Magazines like ‘Sokhan’, ‘Ferdowsi’, and ‘Khosheh’ had the highest circulation.
Importance of Free Journalism
He added: The best type of journalism is free journalism. If a journalist is under pressure and forced to say some things and not others, they are no longer a real journalist. Their duty is to see what others don’t see or don’t want to see and reflect it.
Role of the Reporter
Ashkouri emphasized: A reporter is someone who is curious, finds news that has not yet been reflected, and delivers it to the people. But there is a big problem here: journalists are sometimes ‘tied-handed’.
Necessity of Fair Criticism and Freedom of Expression
He continued: Unfortunately, in our country, we do not pay attention to the fact that those who offer fair criticism are the best people in this country. They love their country and want problems and shortcomings to be resolved. Of course, many topics, if we go into details, might not be advisable, but the reality is that a journalist must be free.
This veteran journalist noted: In many countries around the world, books are not censored at all; books are published, and if there is a complainant, it is later examined and addressed in court. But here, sometimes they interrogate for a ‘word’ in a book or newspaper. While in the current environment with the internet, satellite televisions, phones, and a thousand other media, things that were not supposed to be said are widely being said.
Newspapers’ Lack of Attention to Art and Literary Figures
This poet from Eshkevar stated: Today, unlike in the past, newspapers pay less attention to art and literature. Previously, I used to read two to three newspapers daily and believed that newspapers should have news about artists and literary figures. ‘Ettela’at’ newspaper is one of the healthy and good newspapers; but even such a newspaper could have one or two fixed columns about books, new publications, and literary figures; a practice that was common before the revolution.
Literary Supplements in ‘Ettela’at’
He added: In ‘Ettela’at’ newspaper, we did new things: a special issue for Aref Qazvini, a special issue for Nima, and also a special issue about translators, whose picture is on my Instagram, and interviews with people like Mohammad Qazi, Reza Seyed Hosseini, and Ahmad Shamlou about translation.
First Reviews and Book Introductions
This veteran journalist said: The first book I introduced, if I remember correctly, was ‘Toble-ye Attar’ written by Jalal al-Din Homai. Then two collections of poetry, one of which was ‘Be-Take-Gahi’ by Ali Baba Chahi (his first collection of poetry). I also introduced many other books that I don’t recall now.
Joining ‘Khosheh’ and Old Acquaintance with Shamlou
He continued: When ‘Khosheh’ magazine was published and Mr. Shamlou came, I joined there because I had known him for many years. It was around 1968 when the mass closure of magazines and newspapers began; something Mr. Hoveyda did. After that, I went to ‘Ettela’at’ newspaper and continued working under Mr. Mojabi.
Book Introduction in ‘Ettela’at’
Ashkouri added: As far as I remember, the first book I introduced in ‘Ettela’at’ was ‘In the Street of Rindans’ by Dr. Zarrinkoub. After that, many other books were introduced.
Veterans of Literary Journalism
Kazem Sadat Ashkouri said: In the past, the number of magazines published was incomparable to today. Today, the number of publications has increased, but at that time, serious and substantial weekly magazines were much more numerous, and each had regular writers. Daily newspapers were limited to ‘Ettela’at’, ‘Kayhan’, and later ‘Ayandegan’. In the end, ‘Bamdard’ newspaper was also published for a while. All these newspapers were published in the morning; we did not have evening publications.
Role of ‘Ayandegan’ Newspaper
He added: When ‘Ayandegan’ started its work, a transformation occurred. This newspaper attracted literary figures from magazines and published a very important literary supplement called ‘Ayandegan Adabi’. Figures like Abolhasan Najafi and Shamlou were present in it. I have introduced all of these in my book ‘Glimpses of Art and Literature in Newspapers’.
Most Memorable Interviews
This poet and writer continued: One of the most memorable interviews was related to the Nima special issue. We asked people like Sirus Tahbaz, who compiled Nima’s works, to provide content. Nima had a special method: he would write poetry on paper envelopes, even on cigarette packets! He had collected a sack full of notes. Tahbaz, instead of an article, wrote a letter to me, and that letter was published in the newspaper. In that letter, he wrote:
“To say Nima is a poet is a statement; but if someone says Nima is not a poet, they must provide a thousand reasons.”
This is not just about Nima; it’s a general point: affirmation does not require reason; but negation is invalid without reason. If you say someone is a good person, no one asks why. But if you say they are a bad person, they immediately ask: “Why? What did they do?” This is one of the memories that has always stayed with me.
Interviews with Translators and Discussion on Poetry Translation
The author of ‘Legends of Upper Eshkevar’ said: In interviews with translators, we talked about poetry translation. Among those we spoke with, only Shamlou had translated poetry. Neither Seyed Hosseini nor Qazi had translated poetry. Qazi made an interesting statement:
“Poetry should be translated by a poet.”
Later, I came to the conclusion that this is not always true; because in many translations, even by poets, if you remove the original poet’s name, you would think the poem belongs to the translator; meaning the translator has translated the poem with their own poetic language, not with the style of the original poet.
Difficulty of Style Transfer
He added: In translation, the writer’s style must be preserved; whether it’s the use of colloquialisms, obscure words, or the rhythm and resonance of the language. For example, if someone wants to translate Hafez’s poetry into another language, if Hafez used the word “arezh” (عارض) in the sense of “face”, that translator must also use a word close to “arezh”, and this is very difficult.
Criticism and its Importance
The author of ‘One Hour Out of 24 Hours’ emphasized: Real criticism is not mere praise or denunciation. Criticism means pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of a work and expressing flaws and shortcomings fairly. Unfortunately, in our society, sometimes a work is excessively praised or severely destroyed. A book journalist must be able to look at and critique a work without bias, with fairness and accuracy.
Importance of a Journalist Being Book-Savvy
He added: A book journalist must be a book person themselves. This means, at a minimum, they must have read important and relevant books. Even if the journalist is not specialized, they must have sufficient information about the topic under discussion to conduct high-quality and accurate interviews.
Difference Between Journalistic and Academic Criticism
This literary researcher continued: Journalistic criticism pays more attention to the general public and is vibrant and popular, while academic criticism is usually specialized, analytical, and limited to a specific group. In my opinion, journalistic criticism can be understandable for both a university professor and an ordinary reader, and this is a point that newspapers and news agencies should pay attention to.
Challenges of Book Publishing in the Country
He also said: A major problem in the book industry is publishers’ focus on translation, and the publication of original works receives less attention. Even valuable internal poetry and fiction works are less seen due to this focus. This issue has led to quality Iranian books being less accessible to the general public.
Books and Technology
Ashkouri concluded: With the increasing use of phones and the internet, many young people are less inclined to read books. Even easy access to information has reduced the need for dictionaries or printed sources. This issue has led to a decrease in direct public interaction with books, and journalists and book activists must find ways to attract readers.
