Premiere Series
Since the 1979 Iranian uprising against the Pahlavi government and the emergence of a theocratic regime, suppression and censorship of the press, intellectual thought, and artistic expression have only intensified. Of course, censorship is not new in the Iranian/Persian experience. Previous monarchies also engaged—sometimes subtly, sometimes brutally—in the control and silencing of new and creative ideas. Novels, poetry, music, visual and performing arts, architecture, and political writings have all been subject to restrictions across the centuries.
The Premiere Series is founded with the aim of offering a forum for fresh, bold, and innovative ideas that might otherwise remain unheard or unnoticed. It seeks to provide a space where critical voices, alternative visions, and creative works can be shared and preserved despite political or social constraints.
Efforts will be made to select and publish works of the highest quality under the scrutiny of direct and rigorous critical review. The series will welcome submissions across a broad range of fields, including literature, history, music, performing arts, social sciences, philosophy, and the humanities.
Importantly, the Premiere Series invites contributions from citizens of what we call Iranshahr—a term that goes beyond the borders of today’s Iran to embrace the wider historical, cultural, and linguistic community shaped by the Persian/ Iranian heritage.