One country, one author: in Iran with Parisa Reza

The writer Parisa Reza in the studio at RFI. © RFI / Fanny Renard

By: Catherine Fruchon-Toussaint

Born in Tehran, in a family of intellectuals and artists, Parisa Reza, arrived in France at the age of seventeen. After Les jardins de consolation, The Perfume of Innocence, she has just published her third novel, still in French, under the title Les confessions d'un anarchiste by Gallimard.

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Cover of the new novel by Parisa Reza © Gallimard

“We arrived in Tabriz this morning : the prince, myself, and a crate of arms. Coming to Tabriz was the stupidest decision to make, the prince made it, I followed it.
In Persia, the princes are numerous, but in my eyes, the prince of princes is my prince. Being his tutor made me a respected man. That is why I will remain faithful to him forever. Everything was going so well that I thought I was aging peacefully and dying in Tehran. The coup concerned only the Persians, and in no case a Frenchman like me.
But I could not resign myself to leaving the prince alone. He has no idea what awaits him. He is young, in love, he takes up a challenge, he goes to the duel : freedom against tyranny! When in reality, this is not a fair fight, on equal terms, but a desperate fight between a handful of men and an entire army ... ”

In 1906, Iran made its first revolution and became a constitutional monarchy. But, in the summer of 1908, the Shah bombed the Parliament. Only one city, Tabriz, refuses to submit and resists fiercely for ten months.
In this fresco with great heroic figures, Parisa Reza reveals to us a very little known episode of the earthquake that rocked Iran at the start of the 20th century, bringing new ideas to communism. (Presentation of the editor)

(Replay of July 26, 2019)

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