a radio feature produced by Michael Shirrefs
What does it mean to a life to be born two years before a revolution that will rip your country apart?
Ali Alizadeh was born in Tehran in 1976. He grew up with the love of literature and strong Marxist ideologies of his immediate family, while a Revolution went horribly wrong across wider Iran.
The young Ali grew into a belief that language had power. This was until his family left Iran and moved to Australia—leaving Ali wrestling with his identity and wondering whether his new language still had power.
Today Ali Alizadeh is a highly respected writer, poet, critic and lecturer at Monash University, with an expanding body of work which already includes 5 poetry collections, a novel, a work of non-fiction and a collection of short stories.
Ali’s voice is clear and uncompromising and he treasures the strengths and failures of language in equal measure.
Supporting Information
List of poems:
‘Rumi’ from Eyes in Times of War (Salt Publishing, 2006)
‘Listening to Michael Jackson in Tehran’ from Ashes in the Air (University of Queensland Press, 2011)
‘Language(s)’ from Ashes in the Air (University of Queensland Press, 2011)
‘Evening Star’ from Evental (Vagabond Press, 2011)
‘Joan of Arc’ from Ashes in the Air (University of Queensland Press, 2011)
‘Merri Creek’ appeared in Overland (#203 Winter, 2011)
‘Dubai’ from Ashes in the Air (University of Queensland Press, 2011)
‘The Bubble’ appeared in Southerly (Vol 70 #3, 2010)
‘Your Terrorist’ from Eyes in Times of War (Salt Publishing, 2006)
‘Spiritus Mundi’ from Ashes in the Air (University of Queensland Press, 2011)
‘Robespierre’ from Ashes in the Air (University of Queensland Press, 2011)
‘Fred’ appeared in Heat (#24—New Series)
‘We’ appeared in Meanjin (12th July 2013)
The music used at the start of the program is called Moonlove Gilava, from Iranian-born Melbourne musician and singer Gelareh Pour.
It was recorded for RN’s Music Show.
Further Information
Ali Alizadeh at Monash University
University of Queensland Press
Credits
Reader—Kerry Walker
Producer—Michael Shirrefs
Sound Engineer—Angela Grant
© 2013—Michael Shirrefs & ABC RN