Azar Nafisi is an Iranian-American author, professor, advocate for literature and freedom of expression. Her books have captivated readers with her harrowing and compassionate portraits of life during the Islamic revolution in Iran.
Reading Lolita in Tehran is the moving film adaptation of Nafisi’s bestselling memoir of the same name. Directed by Eran Riklis, the film stars French-Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani as Nafisi, alongside Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Mina Kavani, Bahar Beihaghi, Isabella Nefar, and Lara Wolf. Set in post-revolutionary Iran, it follows Nafisi as she secretly gathers female students to read banned Western classics, exploring themes of resistance, identity, and the transformative power of literature. Structurally, the film mirrors the memoir’s format by dividing its narrative into sections named after the books they read—Lolita, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Miller, and Pride and Prejudice—each anchoring a chapter in their collective and personal journeys.
"When it comes to freedom, writers and readers are joined at the hip, for the freedom of one guarantees that of the other. Writing, of course, may have repercussions for writers, placing them in danger, but books can also be dangerous for readers. Because great works of fiction are about revealing the truth, great writers, in this sense, become witnesses to the truth; they do not, cannot, remain silent. But readers, as well, once they read the work, cannot remain silent either. This is true especially now. "
Nafisi’s act of resistance through literature did not end with her private classes. After leaving Iran, she built on that experience to become a prominent advocate for human rights, particularly for women and intellectuals living under authoritarian regimes. She’s become a global advocate for human rights, speaking before the U.S. Congress about women’s rights in Iran and consulting with international organizations on issues of censorship and freedom of expression. Through her books, lectures, and work at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, she has consistently defended the role of education and culture as essential tools for tangible change.
The power of literature becomes unmistakably clear when authoritarian regimes begin by banning books. Nafisi’s work is a testament to that, positioning fiction and storytelling as both a refuge and resistance during oppressive times. Her lectures and writings, both in English and Persian, focus on the role of literature in fostering empathy, pluralism, and civil society, particularly under authoritarian regimes.