Iran novel reaches 5th edition in Turkey

Persian novel 'Whisper My Name', written by Farhad Hassanzadeh and adapted into an Iranian film, has reached its fifth edition in Turkey.

The book, published by Iran’s Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, was first released in Turkish in 2017.

More than 9,000 copies of the Turkish version, 'Bul Beni Ziba', translated by Nezahat Başçı, have been sold so far.

According to the Turkish publisher of the book, the story has become one of the most-read Persian translations in Turkey.

'Whisper My Name' has also been translated into Arabic, Armenian, and English, with a Chinese edition planned soon.

The novel has earned international recognition, including its listing in the 2016 White Ravens catalog in Munich and the Honor List of International Board on Books for Young People in 2018.

First published in Iran in 2015, the book inspired a feature film produced by the same institute, directed by Rasoul Sadr-Ameli.

"Khosrow, who is forcibly hospitalized in a mental hospital, has spent all these years thinking about his daughter Ziba. Today is Ziba's 16th birthday, and Khosrow doesn't want to miss this simple day," a synopsis for the flick reads. 

Hassanzadeh is one of Iran’s leading authors in children’s and young adult literature. He has been nominated several times to represent Iran for prestigious international awards such as the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award.