TEHRAN-The Armenian translation of the book “The Monster's Shadow” written by Abbas Jahangirian has been published in Armenia.

Translated from Persian into Armenian by Gevorg Asatryan, the book has been published by Edit Print Publishing House, ISNA reported.

It is the story of a girl named Maral who goes to Golestan National Park with her brother. Past and present, myth and reality are intertwined in the novel.

The 224-page book was first published in 2016 in Iran, the book brought great recognition to Jahangirian.

“During my two visits to Armenia, upon the invitation of the Writers Union of Armenia, I witnessed the Armenians’ deep interest in Iranian literature. In both classical and contemporary literature, many of them were familiar with figures such as Ferdowsi, Hafez, Sadegh Hedayat, and Ahmad Shamlou, among others,” Jahangirian said.

“In the field of children’s and young adult literature, efforts by Iran-friendly translators have made significant progress,” he added. “Translating the works of Iranian writers is a positive step toward expanding the boundaries of our literary world.”

In 2020, the Children’s Book Council of Iran introduced the novel to the Honorable Mention of the Written Works of The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). It was also the nominee of the Book of the Year.

“The Monster's Shadow” has received an award from the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults at the 18th Children and Teen Book Prize, the silver badge from the 5th round of Flying Turtle Award.

This is Jahangirian’s fourth work translated in Armenia. Previously, “Hamoon and the Sea” was translated by Andranik Khechumian, “Farabi” by Emma Begyan, and “Goodnight, Liana” by Gevorg Asatryan.

Jahangirian, 69, has a master’s degree in dramatic literature from University of Tehran. Besides writing books, he also teaches story writing at the university.

The Association of Writers for Children and Youth in Iran has nominated Jahangirian for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) in 2024, in the author category.

The veteran writer has been selected due to his prolific career of almost 50 years, which encompasses literature, research, theater, and film. His creative output spans across all age groups, ranging from children to teenagers and adults.

His works stand out for their unique spirit, despite the diverse range of styles and formats. Iran's magnificent history, profound cultural heritage, and astonishing literary works, along with the preservation of nature's ecosystems, the protection of endangered forests and animals, promoting world peace, and conveying emotions of love and grief, resonates deeply in his works, while simultaneously addressing the struggles of teenagers and children.

Some of his works have attracted the attention of directors because of their visual style and they have been adapted for the cinema and television, e.g., “Hamoon and the Sea” and “New Year’s Day”. Other than Armenian, some of his books have been translated to Kazakh, Arabic, Turkish, Russian, and English.

Astrid Lindgren was prominent in the development of children's literature as an art form. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is awarded to those who continue to work in her spirit: with imagination, bravery, respect and empathy, and maintaining the highest level of artistic excellence.

Based in Yerevan, Edit Print Publishing House was established in 1993. During the 30 years of its activity, the company has released over 5,000 books. As a leading publisher in the Armenian publishing industry, the publishing house continues to publish books aimed at preschool children, juniors and teenagers, fiction literature – both classical and modern, the best works of Armenian and non-Armenian authors, specialized books, self-help books, business books, and biographies.

Photo: Front cover of the Armenian translation of “The Monster's Shadow”

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