“The Influence of the 1960s Literary Miscellanea on the Trend of Modernism in Iranian Fictions”

Although the publication of The Blind Owl (1937) has generally been regarded as a turning point in literary Modernism in Persian fictional literature, it can’t be considered as a discerning dynamic movement, since despite a few mimetic modern novels or short stories, all mere imitations of the modern writing style of The Blind Owl, Modernist literary devices and techniques were still unknown among Iranian writers.
Among modernistic movements in this time, one is literary journal called “khorous Jangi” (The Fighting Cock) (1941), published by a literary salon of the same name. This journal was published as a consequence of the opening in Iran’s cultural and political atmosphere, coincident with the downfall of Reza Shah. However it couldn’t achieve a significant output in order to develop the cultural condition of the country.
But in 1960s the modernistic trends started to grow. Some of the young and avant-garde writers joined together and established a variety of literary salons in different cities of Iran. The emergence of such salons mostly led to publication of literary journals entitled “Jong”(Miscellanea), among them are Jong-e Bāzār, Jong-e Torfeh and Jong-e Honar o adabiyāt-e Jonub and Jong-e Esfahān. In such Jongs, the Iranian writers and translators insisted upon the significance of development and change in Persian fictional literature in terms of point of view, language, form, etc.
Among all these Jongs, Jong-e Esfahān (1965-1973) should be regarded as the most impressive one. Jong-e Esfahan, regarding either theoretical aspects – publishing articles on modernistic approaches, theories and rhetorical devices – or practical aspects- publishing translations of modernist world fictions and Iranian modernist writers- played such a significant role in introducing Modernism to Iranian society.
Jong-e Esfahan’s writers, who partly were brought up in Western countries’ cultural atmosphere, had a more educated approach towards Modernism than the other Jongs’ writers did. By following a defined guideline during a long period, they earnestly pursued the flow of evolution in contemporary Persian literature.
Some of the most eminent Iranian Modernist literary figures are among this circle, such as Hushang Golshiri, Bahrām Sādeghi, Taghi Modarresi and Abo-al Hassan Najafi. Part of the modernist Iranian masterpieces like Shāzdeh Ehtejab (The Prince Ehtejab) and Malakout (The Divine Kingdome) were for the first time read and criticized in this circle.