A private library belonging to the late Persian poet Fereydoun Moshiri was donated by his family to the Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia (CGIE).
Moshiri’s library which contained a valuable collection of books and magazines is now part of the CGIE library in Tehran, said Mohammad Kazem Mousavi-Bojnourdi, its founder, Mehr News Agency reported.
Historian, theologian and writer Mousavi-Bojnourdi, 64, founded the CGIE library in 1984, by donating a number of books from his own private collection. This he did to provide researchers and writers with information he had at his disposal.
He was also the curator of the National Library of Iran from 1997 to 2005.
Other researchers and benefactors followed his initiative, enriching the library with prints, manuscripts, microfilms, historic letters, atlases, magazines, photographs, slides, and digital media.
Due to their efforts, the CGEI library is now among the most credible and specialized libraries in Iran. A major research institute, it is charged with the task of researching and publishing general and topical encyclopedias about Iranian and Islamic culture.
Mousavi-Bojnourdi thanked Moshiri’s family for their benevolence. “In memory of their great father, they undertook the generous act for promotion of Iran’s culture.”
Bridging the Gap
Fereydoun Moshiri (1927-2000) was a prominent Persian poet who wrote both modern and classic styles of poems. He in fact bridged the gap between traditional Persian poetry and New Poetry initiated by Nima Youshij.
It is this combination that imparts humanity to Moshiri’s poetry and, as is evident from his most cited piece, ‘The Alley,’ it is this same combination that makes his poetry acceptable to a larger audience. Thanks to his works, Persian literature acquired new social and geographical dimensions, and a huge readership.
Moshiri’s works include ‘Gunahi Darya’ (The Fault of the Sea, 1957), ‘Nayafteh’ (Undiscovered, 1958), and ‘Abr’ (Cloud, 1960). His poetic works also appear in various collections, including ‘Parvaz Ba Khorshid’ (Flying Alongside the Sun, 1970), ‘Bahar ra Bavar Kon’ (Have Faith in the Spring Season, 1978), ‘Ah Baran’ (Oh, the Rain, 1988), and his last published work, ‘Ta Subhi Tobnaki Ahura’I’ (Until the Bright Auric Dawn, 2001).
In October 1997, Moshiri read many of his best poems at a gathering at the University of California, Berkeley.
