The impact of Iranian Sufi literature is evident not only in the works of several contemporary Iranian writers; its influence is clear even in some foreigners' works.
One of the main authors who clearly reproduce elements of premodern Iranian literature is Atigh Rahimi, a French-Afghan writer who was the winner of the Goncourt Award in 2008 for his novel The Patience Stone. In it he has used several works of Sufi authors such as Khaje Abdollah Ansari, Sanaie, Attar, Jalaleddin and Mohammad Rumi and has invented a new method in prose, ultimately making Persian Sufi literature the basis of his work.
This presentation will examine and critique various influences of the Persian mystical legacy on the works of Atigh Rahimi’. In addition, It will highlight the impact of these works on French literature, since several of his works have been published in the French language.
In addition to Atigh Rahimi’s book and to classical Sufi literary works from Iran, this presentation draws also on several interviews, conducted by the author, with Atigh Rahimi and with Nahal Tajadod-- a Persian-French writer and researcher of the mystical literature of Iran. The presentation will provide also an overview of different critical points of view, published in French papers.
