New York City, New York, March 23, 2021—WWB Campus, the online education program of Words Without Borders, announced today the launch of a new unit of literature from Iran.
“Read Iran” presents a vibrant collection of contemporary, classroom-ready essays, poems, graphic literature, and stories from Iran’s most distinguished literary voices. Each piece of literature is available on the WWB Campus website for free, along with a rich array of contextualizing multimedia resources.
“We hope these stories, poems, and essays will offer students windows on life in Iran, sparking new conversations and ideas about the world,” said WWB Campus Editor & Curriculum Designer Nadia Kalman. “It is our mission to expand students’ understanding of one another, of themselves, and of the value in their diversity.”
Alongside each text, educators will find teaching ideas to integrate Iranian literature into their curricula, including sample lesson plans, discussion questions, assignments, and suggestions for related readings on the site. All teaching resources on the site are linked to Common Core standards.
“Read Iran” features texts by sixteen celebrated Iranian writers, including feminist poet Forugh Farrokhzad, novelist Salar Abdoh, journalist Habibe Jafarian, cartoonist Mana Neyestani, and novelist Amir Ahmadi Arian, who contributes an introductory essay on the contemporary Iranian literary landscape. The literature in the unit was selected for its quality, relevance to high school and college courses, and ability to engage students. “Read Iran” is organized into five thematic sections: memories, transformation, war stories, leaving home, and love stories.
The literature and resources in the “Read Iran” unit are available online to students, educators, and libraries at no cost, as are all other materials on the WWB Campus website. For more information about how to use the program and its resources, visit WWB-Campus.org or contact WWB Campus Editor & Curriculum Designer Nadia Kalman at nadia@wordswithoutborders.org. Educators can also sign up for the WWB Campus newsletter to stay up to date on new literature and upcoming events, like the popular #LunchGlobally educators workshop series.
Words Without Borders Campus
Words Without Borders Campus helps educators bring the world to their students, connecting classrooms with eye-opening short readings from around the world.
Recognized by the Innovations in Reading Prize of the National Book Foundation, WWB Campus offers free full-text versions of the best international poetry, short stories, graphic fiction, and more. Our growing collection includes writing from dozens of countries—including Mexico, Japan, and Egypt—organized around engaging, cross-cultural themes such as leaving home and love stories. To help build understanding of cultural contexts, we provide relevant resources for every work of literature, including a range of flexible teaching ideas.
Words Without Borders
Winner of a 2018 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize, Words Without Borders is the premier destination for a global literary conversation. WWB seeks to expand cultural understanding by giving readers unparalleled access to contemporary world literature in English translation while providing a vital platform for today’s international writers. Since its founding in 2003, WWB’s free digital magazine has published more than 2,600 pieces of writing from 140 countries, translated from 126 languages. Our contributors include literary heavyweights like Elena Ferrante, Han Kang, Olga Tokarczuk, Roberto Bolaño, and Jokha Alharthi, as well as a host of emerging voices from around the world.
Press Contact:
Contact: Susannah Greenblatt
Organization Name: Words Without Borders Campus
Telephone Number: (609) 712-2642
Email Address: susannah@wordswithoutborders.org
Website Address: WWB-Campus.org and wordswithoutborders.org
Twitter: @wwborders