The book ‘After 12 Days: Narratives of the Homeland’ was published
According to the correspondent of Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), the book ‘After 12 Days: Narratives of the Homeland,’ prepared and edited by the Iran House of Book and Literature, has been published. In this book, literary figures took up their pens, and each recorded their own narrative of the twelve-day war, including Khosro Babakhani, Abbas Zalzadeh, Alireza Mahmoudi Iranmehr, Faeze Golkar, and others. In fact, the book comprises narratives from the heart of the 12-day war, written by literary figures who recounted moments of the conflict. In the publisher’s preface, it is mentioned what role literature plays in war. In Iran, the experience of the eight-year Sacred Defense and the 12-day war is a prominent example of recording history through art. A generation of poets, writers, and artists created works during and after the war that today constitute an important part of the country’s historical memory. These works went beyond mere memoir-writing, offering human narratives of love, sacrifice, longing, alienation, and hope.
A Spark of Hope and Meaning from Amidst the Ruins
In the ‘Publisher’s Preface,’ the relationship between literature and war is discussed, along with the mission literature can play in keeping a society alive during war: ‘In times of crisis, where is the place of the writer and poet? What is literature’s relation to war and suffering? And how can an artist create a spark of hope and meaning from amidst the ruins? War, whether in its full military form or as social, political, or even environmental crises, has always been an inevitable part of human experience. World history is the history of human confrontation with difficult situations; from ancient epics to contemporary narratives, all show that whenever humans have been involved in a crisis, they have turned to the language of poetry and narrative to endure reality and give it meaning.
In such situations, literature is not merely a reflection of suffering; rather, it is a weapon for resistance, a platform for dialogue, and a tool for rebuilding collective identity. If we review the history of wars, we see that no conflict has remained without a trace in literature and art. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, the national epics of various nations, and also contemporary war literature all bear witness that war does not only unfold on the battlefield but also continues in the field of words.
In Iran, our experience of the eight-year Sacred Defense and the 12-day war is a clear example of such a relationship. A generation of poets, writers, and artists, during and after the war, created works that today are an inseparable part of our historical memory. These works were not merely memoirs or factual records; they were human narratives of love, sacrifice, longing, alienation, hope, and rebuilding. The important point is that war literature does not only belong to the combatants. War literature is the narrative of women, the narrative of children, the narrative of cities that were subjected to aggression and rose again from the ashes…’
No Trace of Destruction or Explosion Visible
Alireza Mahmoudi Iranmehr, in an article titled ‘After Twelve Days,’ describes details of Tehran after 12 days of war: ‘At half past eight in the evening, I finally reach Tehran. Azadi Square is full of cars, but it seems frighteningly deserted. The crowds of people I always saw there have disappeared. Apart from the smell of smoke and burning plastic, I haven’t seen any obvious signs of war yet. I’ve heard in the news and from my friends that Israel bombed Mehrabad Airport, but from where I’m standing, no trace of destruction or explosion is visible.
The taxi driver, whom I luckily found at Bandar Anzali terminal, was surprised that I was returning to Tehran during wartime. I myself am amazed to be here. The driver told me how he had brought three female students from Tehran to Bandar Anzali in Gilan at midnight for a fare of fifteen million Tomans. He said: ‘I didn’t charge much at all. You see what’s happening on the road, there’s absolutely no gas to be found. Many people got stuck halfway; we were on the five-hour route for twenty hours.’
The book “After 12 Days: Narratives of the Homeland,” prepared and edited by the Iran House of Book and Literature, has recently been published in 158 pages.
