Akhtar Naraghi

Akhtar Naraghi is a Canadian writer, born in Persia. She holds a Ph.D. in English literature from McGill University and works in English. Her novels are all written in the first person, and revolve around the narrator's efforts to make a home in new surroundings, in different cultures. She has published three novels, "The Big Green House" (1994), which was short-listed for the QSPELL Hugh McLennan Prize for Fiction in 1995, "Blue Curtains" (1999) and "With Mara That Summer" (2004). In these, the narrator-protagonist recounts episodes from her life, beginning in early childhood and ending with her declining years.

Naraghi is also the author of two collections of verse, "Legacy" (1992) and "Solitude" (1996), in addition to having contributed forewords, articles and short stories to numerous journals.

In 1987 she founded the International Organization of the Helen Prize for Women, named for Dr. Helen Caldicott, the creator of Physicians for Social Responsibility. The Helen Prize annually honors the achievements of women of the world, whatever their backgrounds or fields of endeavor.

Entries for Akhtar Naraghi can be found in a number of biographical directories, including "International Who's Who," "Canadian Who's Who," "Dictionary of International Biography" and "2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century," and Naraghi additionally has been confirmed as one of the International Biographical Centre's "Top 100 Writers" for 2007.