Gulchin Gilani

Biography

Gulchin Gilani, Majd al-Din Mir Fakhra’i (1911-1972/1974), son of Mirza Mahdi Khan. A physician and poet with the nom de plume Gulchin and well-known as Gulchin Gilani. Born in Rasht, he received his primary and secondary education in his hometown and Tehran respectively and later obtained his BA in philosophy and education. He studied medicine in England, but left his studies incomplete owing to the outbreak of WWII and had to earn a living by writing and broadcasting at the BBC. He resumed his medical studies after the war and practiced in London and never returned to Iran. He developed an interest in poetry in early youth and contributed poetry first to the Armaghan journal in 1928 and later to Ruzigar-i Naw, Furugh, and Sukhan. His most famous poem, Baran (Rain), was partially published in primary school textbooks. He was the first modernist poet whose poetry appeared in textbooks. His works include three collections of poetry, Guli bara-yi Tu; Mihr wa Kin; Nihufta ya Nahzat (London 1948); and divan of poetry.

Asar-afarinan (5/ 95, 78); Sukhanwaran-i Nami-yi Mu’asir-i Iran (5/ 3049-3052).