On June 20,2026, I had the honour of being a guest at the Slunovrat Literary Festival in Opava, Czech Republic, where I received the festival’s special Light into the Dark Award.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this experience possible, especially Vašek Müller and Kristina Šemberová for the invitation; Magdalena Sodomková, who was by my side throughout the journey and with whom I shared many wonderful conversations; Markéta Johnová for translating from English into Czech; and Zuzana Kříhová for translating my poems into Czech.

Every book I publish, every festival I’m invited to, and every award I receive belongs, first and foremost, to my first and last teacher, Mehdi Mousavi. He taught—and continues to teach—me, and many of my generation, not only poetry, but how to live with integrity. I will always be grateful for everything he has given to literature.

This journey brought me another unforgettable joy: my mother was with me. Invited by the festival director, she stood beside me on stage, giving me the chance, for the first time in public, to thank her for everything she has been in my life, and to apologize for all the worries my path has caused her.

Now she is back in Iran, and I miss her terribly. I keep returning to that beautiful memory, hoping that one day, soon, we will all be together again.

Link: https://www.ostravan.cz/98155/festival-slunovrat-samizdat-jako-darek-pro-hansarda-ocenena-iranska-basnirka-a-tradicni-naloz-silne-hudby/