Shahnameh expert trying his hand at writing novel on Ferdowsi

TEHRAN – A renowned Iranian expert on Persian epic masterpiece Shahnameh has recently begun writing a novel on its composer Ferdowsi. “I have made use of my vivid imagination to form a story about Ferdowsi, with a glance at history since it is a historical novel”, Mir-Jalaleddin Kazzazi told on Tuesday. He said that this is not a biography but a story based on Ferdowsi’s life, adding that there is not much written about Ferdowsi and most of what we have heard about him are legends. He explained that he liked to test his writing skills, “of course the publisher (Moin Publications) also pushed me to write the novel.” Kazzazi also said that he had written a short story for young adults about the Persian poet of the 12th century Khaqani Shervani many years ago, “However I must admit that this is a new experience for me since it is a long story.” The outstanding master of Persian literature is also known for the usage of pure Persian words in his translations. Translations of the French classic “Lancelot, le Chevalier de la Charrette” (Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart) as well as “The Metamorphoses” by the Roman poet Ovid from French into Persian are among Kazzazi’s credits.