Houshang Golshiri (born 1936, Esfahan—June 5, 2000, Tehran) is a prominent figure in Persian secular literature. His most famous novel, Prince Ehtejab (1968), later became an internationally acclaimed film. He became one of the first Iranian writers to apply modern literary techniques in his books and to depict the demise of the Iranian aristocracy. His style, storytelling ability and command of Persian language and classical literature attracted general readers, as well as the literary elite. Besides producing some of the finest novels and short stories in the history of contemporary Persian literature, he also played a key role in training a new generation of writers by initiating influential magazines and literary awards.
Houshang Golshiri Literary Award, named after the acclaimed writer, is granted annually to the best published Persian work of fiction. In 1999, Golshiri decided to initiate an annual award for the best novel or short story collection. He first intended to call the award “Shahrzad” or “Hedayat”; however, as his disease began in 2000, his plan was left unfinished. Seven days after his death in June 5, 2000, it was announced that a foundation would be established in his honor, which would annually grant an award to competent Persian stories or novels. Today the Golshiri Literary Award is known as the most significant privately budgeted Iranian literary award.
First Edition Winners (2001)
- Best novel: Ahmad Mahmoud for The Fig Tree of the Temples
- Best first novel: Sepideh Shamlou for As if You Had Said Leyli
- Best Short Story Collection: Ali Khodaei for Keep Me Warm All the Winter Long
- Best First Short Story Collection: Mohammad Asef Soltanzadeh for We Fade in Flight
Second Edition Winners (2002)
- Best Novel: Zoya Pirzad for I will Turn off the Lights
- Best First Novel: Reza Ghassemi forThe Nocturnal Harmony
- Best Short Story Collection: Mohammad Rahim Okhovat for Our Wandering Half
- Best First Short Story Collection: Marjan Shir-Mohammadi for After That Night
Third Edition Winners (2003)
- Best Novel: Fariba Vafi for My Bird
- Best First Novel: no work was introduced as the best
- Best Short Story Collection: Shiva Arastouei for Sunlight, Moonlight
- Best First Story Collection: jointly: Soheila Baski for Little Shred and Bahram Moradi for Laughter in the House of Loneliness
Fourth Edition Winners (2004)
- Best Novel: Aboutorab Khosravi for Rood-e-Raavi
- Best First Novel: Rouhangiz Sharifian for Who Believes, Rustam
- Best Short Story Collection: Kourosh Asadi for National Park
- Best First Short Story Collection: Moniraldin Beirouti for Single Clay and Ibrahim Damshenas for Nahast
Fifth Edition Winners (2005)
- Best Novel: Mohammad Hosseini for Bluer than Sin and Yaghoub Yadail for Rituals of Restlessness
- Best First Novel: Soudabeh Ashrafi for Fish Sleep at Night and Farhad Bordbar for The Hue of Crow
- Best Short Story Collection: Mohammad-Hossein Mohammadi for Red Figs of Mazar
- Best First Short Story Collection: Mahsa Moheb’ali for Love-making in Footnotes
Sixth Edition Winners (2006)
- Best Novel: Moniraldin Beiruti for Four Pangs and Fariba Vafi for The Dream of Tibet
- Best First Novel: Mehdi Raeisol Mohadesin for The Palmist
- Best Short Story Collection: Hossein Sanapour for The Dark Side of Words
- Best First Short Story Collection: Hamidreza Najafi for Gravel Gardens
Seventh Edition Winners (2007)
- Best Novel: Asghar Elahi for Salmargi
- Best First Novel: Hossein Mortezaeian Abkenar for Scorpion on Andimeshk Railway Stairs
- Best Short Story Collection: Mohammad Asef Soltanzadeh for Asgar Goriz
- Best First Short Story Collection: Amirhossein Khorshidfar for Life Goes on According to Your Will
Eighth Edition Winners (2008)
The nominees were announced but no specific work was recognized as the best.
Ninth Edition Winners (2009)
- Best Short Story Collection: Hamed Habibi for Where Flat Tire Repairing is Done and Peyman Esmaeili for Snow and the Cloudy Symphony
- Best First Short Story Collection: Hamed Esmaeilion for Thyme is not Fair and Pedram Rezaeizadeh for The Game of Death
Tenth Edition Winners (2010)
- Best Novel: Mahsa Moheb’ali for Don’t Worry
- Best First Novel: Sara Salar for Probably I’m Lost
Eleventh Edition Winners (2011)
No best novel was announced.
- Best First Novel: Jairan Gahan for Under the Lazy Afternoon Sun
- Best Short Story Collection: Ahmad Gholami for Humans and AbouTorab Khosravi for Desolate Book
- Best First Short Story Collection: Amirhossein Yazdanbod forThe Portrait of an Incomplete Man and Neda Kavousifar for Sleeping with Eyes Wide
Twelfth Edition Winners (2013)
- Best First Novel: Salman Amin for Ghale Morghi: Rouzegare Herami
- Best First Story Collection: Sepideh Siavashi for Laugh in Farsi and Mohammad Tolouei for I’m Not Janette.
Thirteenth Edition Winners (2014)
- Best Novel: Hamed Esmaeilion for Dr. Datis
- Best Short Story Collection: Mohsen Abbasi for In Twilight and Ali Changizi for Oblique Pines.
Leave a Reply