Lorestan Needs a House for Literature / Hafez Reading Workshop Lacks a Fixed Location

IBNA (Iran Book News Agency) Provinces Service: One year has passed since the start of the “Tuesdays with Hafez” workshops in Khorramabad; a gathering formed through the efforts of Dariush Mansouri, a poet and songwriter from Khorramabad, with the support of the General Directorate of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Lorestan and then other cultural centers in the city. Today, it has become one of the vibrant and enthusiastic literary movements in Lorestan. These workshops have not only provided an opportunity for reading and analyzing Hafez’s ghazals but have also transformed into a platform for dialogue, literary criticism, and familiarizing different generations with the enduring legacy of Persian poetry. On the first anniversary of this cultural initiative, Mansouri speaks of his experiences, difficulties, and hopes for the future.

Dariush Mansouri spoke about the “Tuesdays with Hafez” workshops: “These workshops began last November with the cooperation of the General Directorate of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Lorestan and were held at this directorate for five months. After that, Center No. 3 of the Lorestan Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults hosted the sessions, which continued for another five months. A few sessions were also held at Cafe Mashahir, and due to the increasing number of participants, a space shortage problem arose; because every week between 60 and 80 people from various walks of life, old and young, and with different academic backgrounds attend these meetings, and more participants are added to the workshop weekly.”

He added: “The workshops are self-managed and do not have a fixed location. Currently, a few sessions have been held in the amphitheater hall of the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (Jahad Daneshgahi); but since it is on the third floor and without an elevator, elderly people cannot attend. Nevertheless, our friends and Hafez enthusiasts have not left us alone, and by paying small monthly fees, the costs of the classes, which are spent on hospitality, are covered, and any extra funds are used to buy books as gifts for participants.”

Mansouri, referring to the process of examining Hafez’s works, said: “Out of 495 Hafez’s ghazals, about 70 ghazals have been examined so far, and we hope to be able to analyze all of them. After that, workshops for reading Shahnameh, Masnavi, Bostan and Golestan, and Khayyam will be on the agenda.”

This Lorestan poet said: “Hafez is a poet whom all Iranians love; from serious researchers and enthusiasts to housewives who, even if they only know how to read and write, have their own specific interpretations of his poems.”

He continued: “Hafez’s poetry is very extensive, and to elaborate on a ghazal, one must refer to texts before Hafez, works of his contemporaries, and contemporary critiques.”

Mansouri cited ambiguity (Iham) as a prominent feature of Hafez’s poetry, which opens the door for interpretation and makes his poetry multi-dimensional.

This Khorramabad songwriter emphasized: “Given the global registration of the prehistoric caves in Khorramabad valley and the literary capacities of this city, such cultural movements should not remain unsupported.”

He added: “Lorestanis, with their ancient cultural history and background, recognize Hafez as the collective memory of Iranians; a poet who transcends space and time, and as the late Nadoushan said, ‘Hafez’s never-ending story continues from his time until today.'”

Mansouri, referring to the first anniversary of these workshops, said: “This ceremony was held at Cafe Mashahir with the presence of several prominent Lorestan artists and enthusiasts of Hafez’s poetry.”

The instructor of these workshops said: “In the ‘Tuesdays with Hafez’ workshop, literary devices, the science of semantics and rhetoric, various meanings of Hafez’s ghazals, prosody and rhyme, and literary criticism are examined, and participants become familiar with Hafez from an ideological and utopian perspective. These workshops are an opportunity for Hafez’s poetry not only to be read but also to be explored in its various layers of meaning and thought.”

In another part of his speech, Mansouri referred to the lack of concentrated activity among the province’s poets after Corona and said: “Due to the non-holding of elections for the board of trustees of the poetry association, this association is not officially active. Whereas previously, good national congresses such as the ‘Ivar’ Congress were held in the province, and although the poets’ works were presented orally and publishing in the province did not flourish as it should, many poets from all over the country participated in these congresses.”

Emphasizing the 60-year history of the Lorestan Poetry Association, he added: “This association has been active since before the revolution, and prominent poets such as Aziz Beyranvand, Heshmatollah Khaleghi, Aziz Naderi, Ramazan Parvardeh, Hojjatollah Mahdavi, Ezzatollah Changaee, and Ms. Ziaei are still active and can revive this association.”

The Necessity of Establishing a House of Literature

Mansouri said: “The better continuity of literary activities in Lorestan requires the establishment of a ‘House of Literature’; a place that not only preserves the valuable heritage of poetry and stories of this land but also serves as a hub for nurturing the young generation, gathering writers and poets, and linking Lorestan’s literature with national and international currents. It would be an official base that provides a platform for the production, criticism, and publication of literary works; an institution whose presence guarantees the continuity of creativity, the cohesion of literary associations, and the enhancement of Lorestan’s position on the country’s cultural map.”

Mansouri, pointing out the necessity for the province’s cultural institutions to provide more support to poets and writers, added: “Holding gatherings of Lorestan poets with each other and even with those from other cities can yield very good results for strengthening literary solidarity, exchanging creative experiences, introducing the cultural capacities of the province, and creating motivation among the young generation.”

The author of the book “Ghamkhand” (Sorrowful Laughter) emphasized: “Such meetings not only foster the growth and flourishing of literary talents but can also pave the way for broader national and international connections and enhance the position of Lorestan’s literature in the country.”