Love in the literature of exile

A change in what can be narrated

Behjat Omid’s article includes a conversation with critic Asad Seif about love and sexuality in Iranian literature written abroad. The discussion considers how leaving a restrictive publishing environment changes the subjects writers can approach, while distinguishing a literary encounter with sexuality from material produced mainly for sensational effect. Source 1

The interviewer names Boys of Love when asking about homosexuality in the expanding repertoire. Seif describes the novel as, in his view, the first Iranian novel built around homosexual love. That claim is retained as the critic’s assessment of the field, rather than a settled priority claim made by this website. Source 1

A broader argument

Seif places the novel within a discussion of social conventions, gender and the circulation of writing online. The piece is criticism of a developing literary space, rather than a full review of the novel’s chapters. The available page is a credited republication on Tribune Zamaneh, which identifies Deutsche Welle as its originating source. Source 1

The couple and the surrounding society

Asked whether same-sex and heterosexual love differ in diaspora fiction, Seif locates the difference chiefly in the couple’s relationship with society, rather than in the lovers’ relationship with one another. He argues that inherited moral expectations impose pressures on same-sex couples that can become tragic. This is a specific distinction within his account of Iranian literature abroad, alongside his qualified historical assessment of Boys of Love. Source 1

Sources & credits

1. Tribune Zamaneh · Behjat Omid and Asad Seif

   A 2 January 2014 republication credited to Deutsche Welle. The critic’s remarks on diaspora literature are distinct from an author interview.