Teheran – Los Angeles – Hamburg: Writing between Identities

Abdi Nazemian was born in Teheran and grew up in Paris, Toronto and New York, among other places. Today, the producer, screenwriter, and award-winning author of young adults novels calls Los Angeles his home. Storytelling has always played a central role in his life and his search for his identity as a queer Iranian-American. 

German-Iranian author and translator Isabel Abedi, born in Düsseldorf and living in Hamburg, feels a strong connection to her cultural roots, the people in Iran, and the country’s rich literary tradition. She advocates for stories that make diversity visible, break down prejudice and strengthen empathy. 

Nazemian's multi-layered teen novel “Only This Beautiful Moment” (in German: “Nur dieser eine Augenblick”), a queer family saga spanning 80 years set in Iran and the USA, has brought the two writers together. They are going to talk about writing and translating at the intersection of cultural identity, family, music, history, and politics in the US, Germany, and Iran.

The conversation will be held in English with translation to German

Free admission

Registration at anmeldung@ijb.de