Mehdi Rabbi was born on August 19, 1980, in Ahwaz. In an introduction to his second book, he says “I write stories because I can’t help it. Writing is for me like an infinite and joyous nocturnal wander.” He holds an MA degree in Dramatic Literature from Tehran and is a doctorate candidate of the Philosophy of Art at the Azad University of Science & Research, Tehran. Rabbi has been the juror of a number of awards for fiction including the Golshiri, Khuzestan, Lamp, Shahvar and Bushehr Awards. His debut collection of short stories, “That Cozy Corner on the Left” was a nominee of Golshiri and Mehregan awards and the finalist of Rouzi Rouzegari and Journalists and Press Critics’ Awards in 2007. The book is under translation to English and Italian – by Ponte 33. His second short story collection, “Go and Wander About, My Friend,” was also the finalist of Golshiri and Rouzi Rouzegari Awards and won the 2009 award of the Journalists and Press Critics. Rabbi is a professor of scriptwriting at the University of Tehran.
The Cozy Corner on the Left (2007)
That Cozy Corner on the Left: Short Story Collection
Cheshmeh Publications: 2007
ISBN: 9789643623753
That Cozy Corner on the Left
A boy is used to running every night as a way of meditation. At nights he runs all the way to his beloved girl’s house unnoticeably, thinking about the possibility of love.
[read the full story here]
Mausoleum
The students go on a weekend trip to one boy’s family mausoleum where his grandfather is to lie after death. One of them confesses to the loss of his love – a moment of epiphany for the other to think about the cemetery of lost loves within the heart of every man.
Ebrahim’s Sacrifice
Ebrahim is a healthy jolly man. One day, as he gets out of the pool after a nice dive, he notices a paralyzed boy on a wheelchair staring at his body, which – in a rebellious will to show off his health and strength – is at work against common sense…
Maliheh
In the absence of mother, beautiful Maliheh and her brother develop a deep affection. Their father, now a smuggler, is always away, leaving them alone and secluded in a borderline village. Father gets addicted, young Maliheh has a suitor, and this is just the beginning of a tragedy…
Massih
Safa and Massih make friends during weekly parties of a mutual university friend. They are both attracted to a girl named Sarah. Fed up with their triangular love, Safa decides to break the rules and discuss the matter with Massih…
The Cyclist
Soroush is the last son of a large family, with all his siblings already married and left father’s house. Soroush wonders if his mother ever loved another man before her devoted love of his father…
Now Do you Let Me Sleep?
Leili and Khosrow, both employees, have to work all day long and the couple’s only chance to meet is in their bed. Leili is dissatisfied with their life and cannot sleep, whereas Khosrow seems the most satisfied…
Nothing Matters Any More
Every morning the retired sergeant, former officer of the detective section, sits on a bench in the park and reads the Incidents columns of newspapers carefully, imagining himself involved in a new detective puzzle…
May I See You again?
A young student of civil engineering has to pass his summer school all alone, while his classmates are enjoying summer vacations. He decides to take a drive and picks up a pretty girl…
The Rival’s Stab
A young man spending his military service in a little town goes to the barber’s to have his scalp shaved. Hiding his face with his hands, he only hears voices. Meanwhile another man steps in and begins to tell a familiar story…
Who Are the Black-Eyed?
A young man is married, against his will, to the girl his mother has chosen. One day he realizes that his total surrender has made him have a particular view of life and its trifles…
Crosswind
As Hamed and Sadeq stop at a gas station to fill in their motorcycles, they notice a pretty woman fueling up her brand-new BMW. Is it fair that all goddamn good things sould be owned by one man alone? Sadeq asks Hamed…
Bridges
Hadi and Roya live in a city with numerous bridges. Roya loves the bridges for certain reasons, but for Hadi they are a mystery, or perhaps a rival. They embark on a romantic conversation about their knowledge of bridges… could a bridge really make a bridge?
Go Wander Around, My Friend
Go Wander About, My Friend
Cheshmeh Publications: 2009
ISBN: 9789643627010
You Are the ‘Hundred and Eleven’
A man calls the Psychiatric Phone Service confessing that he has an affair with his best friend’s wife. The counsellor, a woman, finds herself competing with the man’s mistress to the extent that the patient and the psychiatrist change roles…
Let the Planes Fly, Please!
An incident in an airport of a southern city: all departing airplanes report about blind gunfire towards their planes…
Only Murder the Boars
Navid Barati, managing director of a huge sugar cane company in the south of Iran is on a secret mission: he has to measure the amount of destruction by the boars…
Go Wander About, My Friend
The title story, tells of a young engineer, a top student at university who is also active in the arts and politics, a multifaceted and educated man, who when the story begins has split up from his wife only 27 days earlier. Over this short period of time he tries to exhaust himself with hard work. He tries to forget everything, but fails to find peace…
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