It is often difficult for an artist or writer to let others critically review his works.
At least in Iranian society, it is not common for the audience and readers of a
work to criticize it in public or share how they experienced it. Almost all writers
and artists prefer the audience to just read or see their works. Unfortunately,
it is usually believed that only critics and experts should comment on a work of
art or piece of literature and guide the author or artist. However, four years
ago, Nasser Yousefi began a different experience. He shares his stories with
his main audience, and asks children, teens, teachers and families to share
their ideas and experiences with him.
With the advent of social pages including Telegram, Yousefi launched a public
group on Telegram. He asked readers of his book, “محله شکر خانوم” (Shekar
Khanoom’s Neighborhood) to critically review and share their experiences in
this group. After sometime, hundreds of people join the group who had read
the book or was reading it. Reviews, criticism and even suggestions regarding
this story began. Participants express their views clearly and share their ideas
with the author. Naturally, some of these opinions are harsh. Some liken the
story to a painless, optimistic atmosphere and criticize the author's mentality.
That Yousefi portrays an ideal world as usual. At the same time, many groups
share their experiences of how this collection of stories has helped them feel
better and how well the peaceful atmosphere of collective life has been
illustrated in these stories.
The group is so welcomed by its members in a way that they suggest to read
the book again in group. With the help of Yousefi, this group reading is shaped.
Every week he introduces a story from the book and then asks participants to
do activities regarding the topic or share their own experiences in areas like:
● Caring for children with disabilities in the neighborhood
● Supporting trees that are in danger of being cut down
● Caring for animals in the city
● Paying attention to the elderly
● Paying attention to the pregnant mothers
● Paying attention to the immigrants
● Paying attention to the bilingual people
and so on.
Each of these concepts is found in one of Shekar Khanoom stories. That is, each
story forms activities at the community. Care for the elderly becomes the
Grandmothers and Grandfathers Month, and various groups across the country
work to protect the elderly. For example:
In Bandar Abbas, a group of young people go to the homes of the elderly and
paint their homes. In Babol, people have a party for the elderly inviting children
and teens. In a village in northern Iran, the elderly are invited to read poetry for
children and teens and tell them about their memories. And in many Iranian
cities, nursing homes open their doors to the public, especially to children and
teens.
In other words, each story of Shekar Khanoom turns into a diverse community
project at local community level. It also makes more people interested in reading
the story of Shekar Khanoom Neighborhood. These days the name "Shekar
Khanoom" has become a term to introduce kindness, love and attention to
others. This experience takes nearly a year, and hundreds of social activities take
place around the country. In the second year, Yousefi's readers propose to read
“آسمان ارغوانی بود” (The Sky was Purple), a love story depicting a special image of
genuine love. Asher is a Jewish an itinerant mercer who falls in love with Nargol (a
Muslim girl) in one of the villages. Asher has always been threatened and
humiliated harshly and does not dare to express his love to Nargol. Nargol who is
a beautiful village girl also falls in love with Asher and tries to show her love to
him, but Asher does not realize this love. There is another young man, Emad, in
the village who loves Nargol since his childhood and sees the itinerant mercer a
nuisance. He has noticed Nargol's love to Asher and tries to drive Asher out of the
village to secure his love.
Members of the group read this book. Unlike Shekar Khanoom, The Sky was
Purple became an individual movement for self-awareness. The members read
the book, and comment on Asher, Nargol and Emad, or the story as a whole.
Many of them are excited to read a story about life of a Jew for the first time.
However, this group reading makes members of the group compare their life to
the lives of these three characters. In other words, the story becomes an
opportunity for personal experience. Many members write that at some points in
their lives they were Asher, hiding themselves, and sometimes like Emad,
fascinated by someone, and sometimes like Nargol, waiting for someone to
express his love.
The third experience of the group starts with another book “و باز هم سفر” (A
Journey Again). Group reading this book on social pages, the members reach
above 2,000. All participants, especially teenagers, are eager to read the book
with other members of the group and share their experiences in the group. The
book, A Journey Again, and the Telegram group provide another opportunity as
well. A number of teachers or NGOs working with teens read the book with
groups of teens. Also, many librarians read the book with teenagers at school.
Very soon the book becomes one of Iranian teenagers’ favorite books and is
published five times in three years, something seldom happens to Iranian teen
books.
And Yousefi's next experience in group reading is “طعم سیب زرد” (Taste of Yellow
Apples). This time, Yousefi's readers were faced a totally realistic story. The story
is about Sina, a high school boy who secretly befriends his Afghan immigrant
classmates. To prevent being judged by other classmates, he hides his friendship.
Along the way, Sina encounters other hidden parts in his life, and realizes that
how much he has hidden his and his family’s life. This story is an attempt to dare
adolescents not to hide their fears.
In this activity, readers of the book also try to identify and face hidden parts of
their lives. Generally speaking, we can say that the experience of group reading
and reviewing and expressing collective experiences by mainstream readers is a
difficult but worthwhile task. It seems that Yousefi is not afraid to face harsh
judgment or criticism. However, this has made Yousefi more in touch with his
readers and able to see his ideas and viewpoints more closely. The opportunity
for group reading on social pages is a fresh experience in the field of children and
teen literature. During all these four years, no other writer seems to have dared
to allow his works be criticized and analyzed so directly and to allow mainstream
readers to comment on the works.
While this experience may not seem so easy, it has prompted various groups of
teens, teachers and instructors to read and comment on Yousefi's works. Sharing
stories on social networks can be a good model for other writers to reach out to
their audiences.
Note: All of the books presented in this article are published works written by
Nasser Yousefi.