Parvin Dawlatabadi (Pari)

Dawlatabadi, Parwin (Pari; 1924-2008), daughter of Husam al-Din. A poet and founder of the Council for Children’s Books. She was born in Ahmadabad neighborhood, Isfahan, to an educated mother, Fakhr Giti, who was the principal of the Namus School, and a father who was the director of the Endowment Administration. She began her primary education at the Namus School, but her family soon moved to Tehran and she studied at Nur and Sidaqat Schools where English was taught. Later, she studied at the American School, Nurbakhsh. Having completed her high school education, she intended to study painting and sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts and even attended some classes there, but visiting an orphanage changed the course of her life. The orphanage was affiliated with Tehran City Council and was presided by her father. Her Sister, Mahin, was the director of the infants ward. Parwin decided to work at the orphanage, where her nursery rhymes became quite popular. She tried to turn away from the admonitory themes and compose poetry to entertain children. She also composed poetry for adults following classical models as well as those of Nima. Her family members were educated and teachers by profession. Her mother was a school principal and some of her ancestors who were clerics taught as well. Her family accorded particular significance to poetry and she and her siblings had learned selected poetry of Hafiz, Sa’di, Firdawsi’s Shahnama, and Nizami’s Layli u Majnun at an early age. Parwin Dawlatabadi made significant contributions to the development of poetry by her poetical compositions made for children and young adults. Her elegant and vigorous poetry appeared in the Piyk journal in the 1960s, a turning point in a milieu when admonitory themes of the constitutional era were in evidence. Her poetry did not attain maturity of a sudden, but her background played a significant role in her poetical vigor. Her poetry is marked by certain distinctive features: it distances from prescriptive and admonitory themes and establishes itself by taking into account children’s characteristics. Respecting children’s identity and composing poetry consistent with their nature are reflected in her works. She also removes the gap between childhood and early youth, encompassing the society of children and young adults. Formerly, poetry fell into the domains of children and adults. Thus, young adults at that time experienced the pleasure of reading poetry consistent with their own characteristics. Parwin studied internal photography in England and also studied pre-school education at Ph.D. level in the United States. She collected the treasure of Children’s Literature with the collaboration of Layli Imin Ahi. She was also an editor of children’s books at Franklin Publications. She died of cardiac failure at the age of 84 on 15 April 2008 and was buried in the artists’ lot of Bihisht-i Zahra. Her Gul-i Badam (Almond Blossoms), in verse, won her the Children’s Book Council prize in 1987. Her nom de plume is Pari and is mainly well-known for her ghazals, though she also made many poetical compositions in the form of mathnavi and sequential twin couplets. Her diction is fluent, clear, and devoid of florid ornaments. Sorrow and fortitude are leitmotifs of her poetry. Many of her poems, particularly those composed in recent years, reflect social themes. Her works include: Gul-i Badam; Bar Qayiq-i Abrha; Shurab; Hilal-i Nuqrihsa; Atash u Ab; Baz Mi’ayad Parastu Naghmih-khan; Gunjishk u Wazagh; Shahr-i Sang; Dar Bulurin Jamih-yi Angur; Jumjumak Barg-i Khazan; Guzari dar Adabiyyat-i Kudakan; Yik Bazigar. She also edited more than 20 children’s books.

Karnama-yi Zanan-i Kara-yi Iran az Diruz ta Imruz (351-353).