User:Mehdi hejvani

Mehdi (Mehran) Hejvani

Mehdi (Mehran) Hejvani (Persian: مهدی (مهران) حجوانی ), born on March 21, 1960 in Tehran, Iran, is an Iranian university professor with tenure in Literature faculty, writer, translator and editor in chief. Since 1982, he has been focusing his work and research on literature, and specifically on children’s literature, putting invaluable efforts in founding and establishing cultural institutions in the field. He was one of the co founders of the short-lived “Bureau of Children and Youth’s Art and Literature. In addition, he was the editor in chief of four volumes of the theoretical magazine, ‘The Research Periodical Magazine of Children and Youth’ (1989 to 1995, volumes 7 to 10, Qalamrow) published by the bureau with the help of Howze Honari, Tehran. Helping with the foundation of Ofoq publications, he has been the chief editor of Ofoq publications since 1989. In 1995, he founded ‘The Research Quarterly Journal of Children and Youth’s Literature’, [Pazhuheshnameh] and has been the manager and editor in chief of this quarterly since then. There was a four-year gap in the publication of this quarterly, but with the continuance beginning from volume 52 the research quarterly joined by Shahre Ketab(Book City) publication established “Laakposhte Parandeh” (The Flying Turtle) institute to carry on the analysis and introducing best literary works in the field of children’s literature. In 1996, he co-founded the monthly magazine and critical review of ‘Iranian Children and Young Adults Book’ [Ketabe Mah] with Book House Organization, [Khaneye Ketab] in Tehran. He was the editor in chief of this magazine for 8 years, helping with the volumes 1 to 96 from 1998 to 2005. The organization arranged for 196 seminars with literary experts and illustrators for children’s books in this 8-year period. In 1998, he became a member of the founding board of the Iranian Association of Writers for Children and Youth, and from 1998 to 2011, he was a member of administration board of this association for 6 terms, three as Chairman, two as Secretary and 1 term as vice-chairman. He is continuing his cooperation with this association to present date. In 2003, he became a member of the founding board (one of the two founding members) for the Iranian Association for Illustrators of children’s books. In 2010, Shiraz University initiated the publication of its first journal of academic research dedicated to children’s literature called “Iranian Children’s Literature Studies.” So far, six volumes of the journal have been published and Mehdi Hejvani has been a member of its board of writers since the very beginning of its publication. The center for children’s literature studies has held four conferences so far in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012 that he has been either a participating lecturer or a scientific adviser in them. In the past 30 years Mehdi Hejvani’s work has also covered authorship of literary works and several translations as well as research, including:

Academic Activities: - PhD, Faculty of Arts (2006), Tarbiat Modares University. Tehran-Iran (Thesis: Aesthetics Approach to Children’s Literature). M.A., Faculty of Fine Arts (1998), University of Tehran, Iran (Dissertation: Characterization in fictional Literature). B.A., Dramatic Literature(1989), Art University, Tehran - Assistant Professor of Arts, Azad University, Islamshahr branch, Tehran, (2009) - Adviser of the following theses from France and South Africa: A) “Étude de la dimension humoristique dans les traductions des littératures pour enfants: la traduction de Le Petit Nicolas en person” By: Sevil Zeinali - Advisor: Dr. Mehdi Hejvani- University of Lumiere, Paris B) “The Effects of Social and Political Dislocation on Persianate Children's Literature: Change and Continuity” By: Nafisa Abd – Elsadeq - Superviso: Dr. Van Der Walt. External Examiner: Dr. Mehdi Hejvani -University of South Africa (UNISA) - Adviser of theses from Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran University and Shahed University. - Participating lecturer and scientific advisor of conferences in Sabzehvar University and Shiraz University in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012. - Participating lecturer in the third international conference on science and technology in Malaysia, UITM University. December 16-17 (2010) “Pseudo Innovation in the Children’s Literature.” - Participating lecturer in the fourth International Conference on Science and Technology in Malaysia, UITM University. November 7-8 (2012), “The Decline of Childhood, The Decline of Nature” - Participating in the second Global Conference: “Writing: Paradigms, Power, Poetics, Praxis” – Interdisciplinary.net. Salzburg (Austria). “Boundaries between Informative and Creative Writing in Children’s Literature” November 10-12 (2012).

Citations: - The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature: Khosronejad, Morteza, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature, Edited by Jack Zipes, Oxford university press, p. 296 - Routledge International Companion Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature: Khosronejad, Morteza (2004) International Companion Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature, Edited by Peter Hunt, second Edition, London & New York: Routledge, 2004, Second Edition, p. 1101 & 1102, ref. article: A Review on Iran’s Children’s Literature during the first 20 years after the revolution 1979-1999, by Mehdi Hejvani

Fellowship: - Recipient of Two Research fellowships, supported by International Youth Library, Munich, Germany, for research and study about the doctoral thesis titled ‘Aesthetics Approach to Children’s Literature’ (2005 & 2008)

Books: A) Authored: - Chief Editorship Experiences, For: Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children & Young Adults (IIDCYA) 2013. - Aesthetics of Children’s Literature, Tehran: Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, 2010. - Alef – Dal – Mim (ADAM), Tehran: Ofoq, 1996 - Story Theme, Tehran: Hozeh Honari, 1993 - What Is the Story? Tehran: Hozeh Honari, 1992 B) Revised: - Recreating 3 Volumes for Children (101 moral tales collection), Translated by: Zohreh Moeenifar, Titled- The Child and the Thieves, Prayer and Dinars, and A Night beside a Shepherd, Tehran: Banafshe Books & Ghadyani, 2000 - Those Castles, Tehran: Bonyad Be’esat, 1989 - News from Heaven, Tehran: Ofoq, 1989 C) Translated: - Children’s Literature, Kimberly Reynolds, Tehran: Ofoq 2013 - The Happy Hedgehog, Marcus Pfister, Tehran: Amirkabir 2011 - The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling, Tehran: Ofoq, 2009 - The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Kate Dicamillo, Tehran: Ghadyani, 2007 - The Dial Book of Animal Tales from around the World, Naomi Adler, Tehran: Iranban, 2006 - 9 Children Books, Lee Davis, Tehran: Ghadyani, 2005 - Fire on the Mountain, Jane Kurtz, Tehran: Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children & Young Adults (IIDCYA), 2001 D) Forthcoming publications: - An Introduction: Aesthetic Approaches to Children’s Literature, Maria Nikolajeva, translators: Mehdi Hejvani & Fatemeh Zamani - Jilly Billy and Pussycat, illustrated by Rashin Kheyriyeh - Tale of A Carrier who became Fortune-Teller, illustrated by Rashin Kheyriyeh E) Academic research papers: - A study of the Development of Iranian Children’s and Young Adult’s Literature Criticism, Academic Journal ‘ Iranian Children’s Literature Studies’, Shiraz: Shiraz University & Iranian Society for the Promotion of Persian Language and Literature, vol. 1, num. 1, 2010 - Violence and Compromise In Children’s Literature, (with Habibollah Lazagi), Academic Journal ‘Human Sciences’, Tehran: Shahid Beheshti University, vol. 45-46, 2006 - Manifestation of Carpets in Children’s Literature, Case Study: Trip to the City of Salomon (with Habibollah Lazagi) Academic Journal "Goljam", Tehran, vol. 12, 2006 - The Children and Youth's Literature, Entrance of the Encyclopedia of Persian Language and Literature, Tehran: Iranian Academy of Persian Language and Literature, 2005 - Co – authorship: Children & Youth’s Literature, university course textbook, Tehran: Ministry of Education, 2004 F) Publications in journals More than 170 critical reviews, review essays, editorial notes and printed lectures in several Iranian journals, magazines and supplements

Teaching: - Teacher, Critique of Children’s literature in Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) [Kanoon], Tehran - Teacher, Critique of Children’s literature, Center of Media Studies, Ministry of Culture, Tehran - Teacher, Two courses for the SAMA center under the license of Azad University - Teacher, Story Writing, Peyk e Ghesse Nevisi Organization, Department of Literature, Art’s Domain, Tehran, 1986 – 2001 - As well as teachings in other Iranian provinces including Kermanshah, Kerman, Mashhad, Najaf Abad, Ahvaz, Rasht, Nowshahr, Isfahan and Qom.

Awards: - Special introduction of the translation of the book Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane from “The Children’s Book Council” (CBC) Iran, 2011 - Recipient, Alef – Dal – Mim, as one of the Best Technical Novels, 2007, 1st “The First Literary award of Farda”, 2007 - Recipient, Medal of Serving Culture, 2007, The Cultural and Art Center of Tehran, 2007 - Recipient, Best Researcher, 2007, Faculty of Arts, Tarbiat-Modares University - Praised, The First Festival of "Best Books", Iranian Cultural Association of Publishers, 2005, for the three volumes of series: 101 Moral Tales - Selection of the Journal “The Research Quarterly Journal of Children and Youth’s Literature, [Pazhuheshnameh] as The Best Journal in the Field of Child & Youth 2002; Press Assistance of Culture & Islamic Guidance Ministry – Iran - Recipient, The 5th Festival of the Children Journalism, 2001, for the article, Finally, Children will make God come back.Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children & Young Adults (IIDCYA) - Praised, the First Festival of Quranic stories, for News from Heaven - Praised, Monthly journal “Sorush e Nojavan” Book Awards, For the book: Alef – Dal – Mim, 1996 - Recipient, The Best Critic-writers in the Two Decades after the Islamic Revolution (Great Festival of Best Writers for Children’s Literature), 1990

Translated Essays into English: - Six articles from Pazuhis nama (Pazhuheshn – nameh) and one from Qalamrau, Higwani, Mehdi, Internationale Jugendbibliothek München, (2005) Included: 1) The Alienated Audience, 2) A Review on Iran’s Children’s Literature During the first 20 years after the revolution 1979-1999. 3) Pseudo Literature for Children and Innovation 4) On Popular Literature 5) Message in Literature for Children and Young People 6) The Little Prince; A Sky in Which There Is No Star for the Children; A Critical Review of Antoine de Saint – Exupery’s “Le Petit Prince” - Three articles translated into English and published in Iran News: 1) Hejvani, Mehdi (1991) “The Little Prince; A Sky in which there is No Star for the Children (A Critical Review of Antoine de Saint – Exupery’s Le Petit Prince” Translated into English by H.S.Zahedi, IRAN NEWS, Vol .VI, No.1431 Sunday, October 31, 1999 & Vol VI, No.1442, Sunday. November 14, 1999 & Vol.VI, No.1448, Sunday, November21, 1999, Tehran, Iran. 2) Hejvani, Mehdi (2001), “finally Children Will Make God Come Back” Translated into English by H.S.Zahedi. IRAN NEWS, Vol VII, No. 1849,Sunday, May 20,2001& Vol. VIII, No.1852, Sunday, May 27,2001,Tehran, Iran. 3) Hejvani, Mehdi (2001) “Message in Literature for Children and Young People” Translated into English by H.S.Zahedi, IRAN NEWS, Vol.VII, No.1858, Sunday, Jun3, 2001, Tehran, Iran. - Those Castles, Tehran: Bonyad Be’esat, 1989

Other responsibilities and positions: - Consultant with Ghadyani Publishers, 1989 – Present - Cultural Assistant, Aftabgardan Youth Newspaper, 1995 – 1996, Tehran - Chief editor, children’s books section, Amirkabir Publishing Co. 1987 to 1990 - Editor in chief of a two volume bulletin for the First Children’s Literature Seminar [Rouyesh e Ghonche], Ministry of Culture, Tehran

References: - A Breeze is blowing (preface), More than 100 Persian children’s Books, Translated into English by Liza Namvar, Translation House for Children & Young Adults, Tehran, 2002Nlj;l - In: Ketabak Virtual Database - In: Online Database of the Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies - Interview with Sharq Newspaper: “They won’t make sculptures of critics”- No 544 – August 8, 2005. In: E’temad Melli Newspaper (By: Kabutar Arshadi): “What’s up with the flying turtle?”– September 2, 2008

Contacts: - ir.linkedin.com/in/mehdihejvani - m.hejvani@ofoqco.ir - mehdihejvani@gmail.com - weblog.mehdihejvani.com - Cell phone: 0912-3187-264 - P.O.B: 13145 – 1135 Tehran - IRAN