22. Oct 2013

Elahe Rahroniya is new ICORN guest writer in Stavanger

Iranian writer, visual artist and filmmaker Elahe Rahroniya was recently welcomed as Stavanger City of Refuge’s new ICORN guest writer. Her texts, films and art projects are severely critical towards the regime in her home country. In 2010, following surveillance, threats and harsh interrogations, Elahe fled to Malaysia in fear of reprisals. For the next two years she will continue her work in Stavanger.

Elahe Rahroniya has a BA in English Translation Azad Islamic University of Teheran and a degree in interior design from Teheran University's faculty of beautiful arts. Apart from her prolific literary production, she has been working with conceptual art projects and films. A fusion of documentary and artistic films filled with symbolic references.

Literary works

Rahroniya has published two collections of poetry, a novel and a number of critical essays in Iran, as well as numerous other works that were not accepted for publication in Iran. Her first collection of poems Leilaobali was published in 2001 in Teheran by Paya Publishers, followed by her first novel The King of Yellow Rose, published in 2007 by the Markaz Publishing House. Her second collection of poems The Sale Advertisement of Turkmen Horse was published in 2010. She has continued to write poetry, novels, short stories and children’s books since she left Iran, and has translated a number of works, all of which have been censored by the authorities.

Film projects

Her last film project, an art documentary, features young, orphan boys living and working in a pile of litter at a recycling plant. A reality the Iranian government prefers to keep away from public view. Rahroniya managed to hide the film material during the last month long interrogations following her return to Iran after two years in Malaysia. She will be working on finishing the film during her stay in Stavanger.

Stavanger City of Refuge

Elahe Rahroniya is number 9 in a row of international ICORN guest writers in Stavanger, the first Norwegian city to join the network for persecuted writers, in 1996. Sølvberget, Stavanger Cultural Center, manages Stavanger City of Refuge, and Rahroniya will be working at the Fribysenter (city of refuge center) at the cultural centre together with several of the city’s previous guest writers.

Previous ICORN guest writers in Stavanger

Norwan (pseudonym) (2011-2013)
Manal Al-Sheikh, Irak (2009-2011)
Otba M. Fathallah, Irak (2007-2009)
Chenjerai Hove, Zimbabwe (2005-2007)
Islam Elsanov, Tsjetsjenia (2002-2004)
Mansour Koushan, Iran (2000-2002)
Mansur Rajih, Jemen (1998-2000)
Araz Elsas, Aserbadsjan (1996-1997)