Aliyeh Ataei

Born in 1980 in Zahedan, Iran, Aliyeh Ataei is a writer, playwright, and women’s rights activist. She grew up in Darmian, a border region between Iran and Afghanistan, which is why she is often referred to as an Iranian-Afghan author. Thematically, too, she frequently draws on her personal experiences as a border dweller. Her writing predominantly explores war, identity, and emigration. Aliyeh Ataei completed her secondary education in the South Khorasan province of Iran before moving to Tehran to pursue a degree at the University of the Arts. There, she earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Dramatic Writing. Her short stories, essays, and novels have been translated into English, French, and Italian and published in numerous literary journals. In autumn 2025, Aliyeh Ataei’s collection of personal essays, originally published in Persian under the title »Kursorkhi«, will be released in German translation by Luchterhand under the title »Im Land der Vergessenen« [2025, trans. Nuschin Maryam Mameghanian-Prenzlow]. In this work, she portrays the effects of war and trauma, especially on the women in her family – a portrayal that has earned her particular acclaim in France: »Masterful stories from one of the most important voices of Iran. These stories speak of what the international press cannot report.« [Taher Ben Jelloun, Le Point]

Aliyeh Ataei has been awarded several prestigious prizes, including the Mehregan-e Adab for Best Novel. In 2023, she was a fellow at Columbia University in Paris. She lives in Paris.

Last Update: 2025

Magar mishavad Qabil Habil ra kosht?
Nashr-e Cheshmeh
Teheran, 2012

Kafourpoosh
Nashr-e Cheshmeh
Teheran, 2015

Cheshm-e Sag
Nashr-e Cheshmeh
Teheran, 2015

Im Land der Vergessenen
Luchterhand Literaturverlag
München, 2025 [Original: 2021]
[Ü: Nuschin Maryam Mameghanian-Prenzlow]