Jhumpa Lahiri’s ‘In Other Words’ in Persian

‘In Other Words,’ a surprising, powerful and eloquent autobiography by American writer of Bengali descent Jhumpa Lahiri, 49, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, is now available in Persian.

The book was originally written in Italian in 2015. Lahiri’s interest for the Italian language developed during a trip to Florence. She studied Italian for many years, but true mastery eluded her. So in 2012, she decided to move to Rome with her family, for “a trial by fire, a sort of baptism” into a new language and world. 

In Rome, Lahiri began to read, and to write, initially in her journal, solely in Italian. ‘In Other Words’, investigates the process of learning to express oneself in another language, and describes the journey of a writer seeking a new voice. 

Presented in a dual-language format, it is a book about exile, linguistic and otherwise, written with an intensity and clarity not seen since Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov. It is a startling act of self-reflection and a provocative exploration of belonging and reinvention, according to Good Reads (goodreads.com). 

Iranian translator Amir Mehdi Haqiqat, 42, has translated the English edition of the book into Persian. The translation was recently released by Tehran-based Mahi Publication, Mehr News Agency reported.

Lahiri’s debut short story collection ‘Interpreter of Maladies’ (1999) won the 1999 O. Henry Award for short story and 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She is currently a professor of creative writing at Princeton University.