The Middle East Institute Arts and Culture Center hosted a special evening with acclaimed author and literary scholar Azar Nafisi, celebrated for her international bestseller Reading Lolita in Tehran.
Drawing on both personal experience and literary tradition, Nafisi reflected on the power of literature in times of crisis—and how the written word can become a force of resistance, refuge, and renewal.
In conversation with Leeya Mehta, director of The Alan Cheuse International Writers’ Center at George Mason University, Nafisi explored how storytelling fosters imagination, freedom, and empathy. She also discussed how literature has empowered women in Iran—and around the world—to find their voices and assert their agency in the face of repression.
The event was presented in conjunction with the MEI Art Gallery’s exhibition Maximal Miniatures: Contemporary Art from Iran, on view through August 22, 2025.
Full Biographies
A Moveable Feast of MENA Pop Art at the MEI Gallery
Maximal Miniatures: A Contemporary Take on a Centuries-Old Persian Art Form
