Esmail Nooriala

Dr. Esmail Nooriala, born in 1943 in Tehran, Iran, is an Iranian writer, poet, movie director, and intellectual.

Career

Dr. Esmail Nooriala (also known as Payaam) was born in 1943 in Tehran, Iran. He began printing his articles on cinema and literature, as well as his poems, in 1957. The first collection of his modern poems was published in 1962 and he has published 8 more collections of poetry since that date. In 1964 he began writing critical and historical analysis of modern Persian poetry and his first voluminous book on this subject (known as "Sovar va Asbaab") was published in 1968.

He directed two feature films and 20 documentaries during the next 4 years and, at the same time, taught Persian literature and culture at the Tehran University. From 1972-1973 he was the head of the Syndicate of Iranian Film Makers and Artists. In 1973 he left Iran to continue his studies at the University of London. He finished his studies in 1978, returned to Iran after the Revolution and was forced to leave the country in 1980.

He resided in London for 14 more years and immigrated to the USA (Denver, Colorado) in 1994. Nooriala was one of the first 9 writers who set up the Association of Iranian Writers in 1967. He also was a founder of Society of Iranian Writers and Artist in Britain (SIWAB - 1984). He has edited several literary magazines inside and outside of Iran and is considered as one of the initiators of the Persian New Wave Poetry, through his poems and writings (collected in "Sovar va Asbaab"), as well as by editing and publishing two literary periodicals (Jong e Torfe, 1964 ­ Jozve ye She'r 1966) and running the Poetry Workshop of Ferdowsi Weekly (1969-1972) all focused on the literary products of this movement.

During his years in exile, he has published a major work on modern Persian poetry (Theory of Poetry), several collections of poetry and has written extensively on Persian literature and culture. In 1990 he married Shokooh Mirzadegi, another Persian well known writer.

During the last five years they have jointly produced four weekly TV programs that were and are broadcast all over the world, and especially to Iran.

He has published a new e-magazine, named "New Secularism" in Nov. 2007 and acts as its chief editor.

He also currently lectures at the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver, on the Sociology of Islam.

External links

* [http://www.puyeshgaraan.com/Nooriala.htm Personal website]
* [http://www.nooriala.com Family website]