Writer and university instructor Leili Anvar has been selected as secretary general of the first International Festival of Persian Speaking Communities in Europe to be held at Paris in January.
According to Honaronline News Portal, the festival, aimed at introducing and promoting Persian culture and the arts across continents, covers a wide range of Persian artistic and cultural works such as literature, photography, visual arts, and stand-up comedy.
It is sponsored by the Persiana Cultural and Artistic Society based in Pari that has recently embarked on a series of initiatives to help introduce ancient Persian art and culture to the world.
Former student of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Leili Anvar got her Ph.D. in Persian and English literature and civilization at the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. From early on during her studies, she developed a deep passion for Persian mystical literature.
Her Ph.D. dissertation, entitled ‘From Paradox to Unity: A Study of the Divan-e Shams’ was a great piece of academic work on Persian mystical literature and the Divan-e Shams, a collection of lyric poems containing over 40,000 verses written by the 13th century Persian poet Rumi.
Later, she wrote two other books about Rumi to help introduce him to those who do not know him; the books are about all of Rumi’s works and tell the story of his life and offer a thorough analysis of the poet.
Anvar is currently professor in Persian Language and Literature at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, Paris, where she also is head of the Iranian Languages Department.
As a specialist in Persian mystical literature, she has translated works of classic Persian poets Rumi, Attar, Nezami and more modern writers into French.
She is also a poet designing and participating in poetic recitals of mystic poetry accompanied by various musicians in different contexts.
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