by Malu Halasa (Editor)
Jina Mahsa Amini's death at the hands of Iran's Morality Police on 16 September 2022 sparked widespread protests across the country. Women took to the streets, uncovering their hair, burning headscarves and chanting 'Woman Life Freedom' - 'Zan Zendegi Azadi' in Persian and 'Jin Jîyan Azadî' in Kurdish - in mass demonstrations. An explosion of creative resistance followed as art and photography shared online went viral and people around the world saw what was really going on in Iran. Woman Life Freedom captures this historic moment in artwork and first-person accounts. This striking collection goes behind the scenes at forbidden fashion shows; records the sound of dissent in Iran where it is illegal for women to sing unaccompanied in public; and walks the streets of Tehran with 'The Smarties' - Gen Z women who colour and show their hair in defiance of the authorities, despite the potentially devastating consequences. Extolling the power of art, writing and body politics - both female and queer - this collection is a universal rallying call and a celebration of the women the regime has tried and failed to silence. This is what protest looks like.
Author Biography
Malu Halasa is a writer and editor based
in London. She is the editor of several anthologies on Middle Eastern art and
culture, including Transit
Tehran: Young Iran and Its Inspirations, and Kaveh Golestan:
Recording the Truth in Iran. Halasa founded Tank magazine and has written
for The Guardian, Financial Times
and Times Literary Supplement. She is
currently literary editor at Middle Eastern arts magazine The Markaz
Review.