TEHRAN – “This Street Has No Rumble Strip” by Maryam Jahani and “Booklessness” by Mohammadreza Sharafi-Khabushan have shared the best novel prize of the 10th Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards.

The winners were honored during a ceremony at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on January 6, attended by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi.

The two winners shared the 30 Bahar Azadi gold coins worth about 435,000,000 rials (about 11,000$).
 
“This Street Has No Rumble Strip” is about Shohreh, a woman who finds her thoughts in conflict with traditions in the outwardly-modern Iranian society, and “Booklessness” acknowledges the place of books in modern Iranian history.

The Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards annually selects and awards a number of books in different categories, however this year the nominees only received honorable mentions.

In the documentation section, “Now Paris” by Mir Jalaleddin Kazzazi and “Journey of Visit” by Mohammadreza Tavakkoli were honored.

“My Husband’s Name Is Tehran” by Zohreh Shabani received the honorable mention in the short story category.

In the Special Section, which focuses on books about economic issues, all the seven nominees received honorable mentions.

“Tower of Silence” by Hamidreza Manai, “A Window to the Past” by Matin Ghaffarian and Behrad Mehrju, “Shadow of the Dragon” by Mohammad-Ali Godini and “Prince Bathhouse” by Mohammad-Hossein Papoli Yazdi, “The Good Smell of Oil” by Reza Amirkhani, “Immortal Mir” by Mikaeil Azimi and “Biographies of Iranian Entrepreneurs” by Reza Yadegari and Mahshid Sanaifard were the honorees in the special section.

Photo: “Booklessness” author Mohammadreza Sharafi-Khabushan (L) speaks after accepting the prize for best novel during the 10th Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on January 6, 2018. He shares the prize with Maryam Jahani, writer of “This Street Has No Rumble Strip”. (Tasnim/Mahmud Hosseini)

RM/YAW