Babak Salimizadeh

Babak Salimizadeh (1984) is a distinguished writer and poet, translator and social theorist. He is the chief editor of Mindmotor Magazine, which has been dealing with critical theory, art and literature since 2007. He is also a member of the editorial board of Iranian Sexuality Studies Group (ISSG) since 2011.

Salimizadeh is known for his performances in the field of poetry and art as well as writings and cultural activism, which tackle the themes of queer theory, literature, aesthetics and politics. He has organized and written for many underground magazines in Iran including: Zoghal magazine (2004-present), a vehicle for the creation and dissemination of protest art in Iran; Artcult magazine (2006-2008), the cultural-artistic organ of leftist student movements in Iran; In addition, he was a strategist for Parallel Academy – a movement organized by students and academics to fight state repression of the human sciences (2009).

A published author and translator, Salimizadeh has an author association contract with Swedish-based, Iran Open Publishing Group. His works include: Armed Art (Sweden, 2008) the audio-performance piece Kâheshe âniye toul (Sweden, 2008). His banned poetry collection Cookery instruction in family circle published by Mindmotor, 2009. Salimizadeh has also translated into Persian many seminal works by Gilles Deleuze, Judith Butler, Jacques Ranciere, Monique Wittig; etc.

Salimizadeh holds a Master of Art Research from Payame Nour University of Tehran. He ranked 5th and got accepted for PhD program in Tehran University of Art, but the Iranian Government made it impossible for Babak Salimizadeh to continue his education in the higher level and after a number of threats and interrogations as a result of his writings, he fled Iran and left for Turkey in 2013. He arrived in Norrköping city of refuge in January 2015.