Mahmoud Dowlatabadi (Persian: محمود دولت آبادی) is an Iranian writer and actor, known for his promotion of social and artistic freedom in contemporary Iran and his realist depictions of rural life, drawn from personal experience.
Dowlatabadi is celebrated as one of the most important writers in contemporary Iran, particularly for his use of language. He elevates rural speech, drawing on the rich, lyrical tradition of Persian poetry. He “examines the complexities and moral ambiguities of the experience of the poor and forgotten, mixing the brutality of that world with the lyricism of the Persian language,” said Kamran Rastegar, a translator of Dowlatabadi’s work. When Tom Patterdale translated Dowlatabadi’s The Colonel, he avoided Latinate English words in favor of Anglo-Saxon ones, hoping to reproduce the effect Dowlatabadi’s “rough and ready” prose. Most other Iranian writers come from solidly middle-class backgrounds, with urban educations. Because of his rural background, Dowlatabadi stands out as a unique voice. He has also garnered praise internationally, with Kirkus Reviews calling The Colonel, “A demanding and richly composed book by a novelist who stands apart.” The Independent described the novel as “passionate,” and emphasized, “It’s about time that everyone even remotely interested in Iran read this novel.”
