Daggers (in Persa) - Sirus Shamlu

Daggers is a bold and unconventional work by Sirus Shamlu, a narrative that moves fluidly across the boundaries of fiction, drama, dark satire, and historical parody. Through a language rich in imagination, irony, and biting humor, the author reexamines the histories of conquest, colonialism, violence, and the pursuit of power from a fresh and provocative perspective. Although the characters and events unfold within a highly imaginative and at times grotesque setting, they continually invite readers to reflect on the mechanisms of domination, greed, war, and the human condition throughout history. This volume brings together a novella and a play, both shaped by the author’s distinctive intellectual vision and narrative style. Through multilayered satire, inventive language, and a critical perspective, Daggers presents a humorous yet deeply thought-provoking portrayal of power relations and historical adventures. Alongside its wit and entertainment, the work raises fundamental questions about history, humanity, and the very meaning of progress.

Sirus Shamlu is an Iranian-Italian playwright, theatre director, writer, translator, and researcher, born in Tehran in 1950 into a distinguished cultural and intellectual family. He is the son of Ahmad Shamlu, one of the most influential poets of modern Persian literature, and a mother who worked as a teacher. Growing up in an environment deeply immersed in literature, art, and critical thought, he became acquainted from an early age with many of Iran’s leading cultural and intellectual figures. This formative background inspired him to pursue a lifelong career in the arts and humanities. After completing his secondary education, he studied Theatre Arts at the University of Tehran, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1976. He later continued his studies in Italy, where over subsequent decades he established himself as an active figure in theatre, pantomime, arts education, and intercultural scholarship across both Iran and Europe. Sirus Shamlu’s artistic and scholarly career encompasses a wide range of theatrical, literary, and academic activities. Since the 1970s, he has written, directed, and performed in numerous theatrical productions in Iran and Europe, founded several theatre groups, and played a significant role in the teaching of theatre, music, and pantomime. His achievements also include the translation of literary and mythological works, translations of poetry by Ahmad Shamlu and Pablo Neruda, and the translation of works by writers such as Pier Paolo Pasolini. Among his most important scholarly undertakings is the research and critical edition of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Balkhi’s Divan-e Kabir, based on ten Persian manuscript sources-a monumental project that has occupied more than a decade of his life and reflects his enduring commitment to Persian literary heritage and textual scholarship.