Named Book of the Year So Far by the New York Times Book Review, Iranian-American poet Kaveh Akbar’s first novel has been met with immediate acclaim. Martyr! follows a young poet and alcoholic who struggles to make meaning of the senseless cruelty experienced by himself and his family members. After the tragic death of his mother, the protagonist immerses himself in his family history and becomes obsessed with the concept of martyrdom. The New Yorker has called Martyr! “…almost violently artful, full of sentences that stab, pierce, and slice with their beauty.”

This event will be moderated by the American Library in Paris’s Curator of Cultural Programs, Rachel Donadio.

About the speaker:

Kaveh Akbar is the author of two poetry collections: Pilgrim Bell and Calling a Wolf a Wolf, in addition to a chapbook, Portrait of the Alcoholic. He is also the editor of The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse: 100 Poets on the Divine. In 2020, Kaveh was named Poetry Editor of the Nation. The recipient of honors including multiple Pushcart Prizes, a Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship, and the Levis Reading Prize, Kaveh was born in Tehran, Iran, and teaches at the University of Iowa and in the low-residency MFA programs at Randolph College and Warren Wilson. 

Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.