International Book Club: Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur

Join us for a powerful evening of conversation as the International Book Club gathers to discuss Women Without Men, the modern classic by Iranian author Shahrnush Parsipur, in a striking new translation. Banned shortly after its original publication for its bold portrayal of female freedom, this “charming, powerful novella” (Publishers Weekly) has since become a landmark of contemporary world literature.

Blending elements of fable, political allegory, and Islamic mysticism, Women Without Men follows the intertwined lives of five women: a wealthy housewife, a prostitute, a schoolteacher, and others, who arrive by different paths at an abundant garden on the outskirts of Tehran. There, Parsipur imagines a space of radical possibility: a world beyond the strictures of patriarchy, tradition, and social control.

We are especially honored to welcome Ali Hosseini as our guest for this discussion. An Iranian-American novelist and short story writer, Hosseini brings deep literary insight and lived cultural context to…