News•Feb 27, 2026
Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur (Translated by Faridoun Farrokh)
Penguin’s International Writers series has finally brought Shahrnush Parsipur’s 1989 novella *Women Without Men* to UK shelves, expanding the reach of a modern Iranian classic. The work intertwines magical realism with feminist critique, following five women in 1953 Tehran as they seek autonomy amid political turmoil and patriarchal oppression. Parsipur, who spent years imprisoned for the book’s candid treatment of female sexuality, remains banned in Iran, underscoring the novel’s contentious legacy. The novella is also a contender for the 2026 International Booker Prize, highlighting its global literary significance.
