IRAN TO HONOR US WRITER WILLIAM SAROYAN

Press TV
Feb 18 2009
Iran

Iran is scheduled to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of the
renowned American writer, William Saroyan in the capital Tehran.

"UNESCO celebrated William Saroyan’s 100th birth anniversary on
August 31, 2008," said event organizer Khachik Khacher, adding,
"We wanted to do our part in paying tribute to the acclaimed writer."

"A ceremony will be held at the Armenian cultural and sports complex
of Raffi on Feb 27, 2009, when Iran’s Armenian community will gather
to commemorate the veteran author and dramatist," the Armenian writer
and translator told ISNA.

"Another gathering will also be held at Iran’s House of Artists on
Feb. 28 for Iranians to pay tribute to Saroyan," he said.

Head of the Armenian Writers Association Leon Ananian will be among
the guests and filmmaker Zaven Ghoukasian will deliver a speech about
the films, which have been based on Saroyan’s books.

A group of Iranian and Armenian musicians will perform at the events
and Iranian actor Sirous Ebrahimzadeh and his wife Nahid Kabiri will
read Saroyan’s 1941, one act play Hello Out There!.

William Saroyan was an American author, novelist and playwright of
Armenian origin, whose stories celebrated optimism in the middle of
trials and difficulties of the Great Depression era.

Saroyan’s Time of Your Life (1939) won a Pulitzer Prize and the New
York Drama Critics Circle award. His short story collection My Name is
Aram (1940) is an international bestseller, which has been translated
into many languages.