Mahsa Mohebali

Mahsa Mohebali is an Iranian writer, literary critic, and screenwriter, considered one of the most prominent voices of the third generation of Iranian fiction. She is a graduate of music from the Fine Arts College.

Mohebali gained acclaim with works such as the short story collection Lovemaking in the Footnotes and the novel Don’t Worry, both of which won the prestigious Houshang Golshiri Literary Award.

She is also an established screenwriter, having written several cinematic screenplays, including the films Ages of Love (Doran-e Ashighi) and 19, which have received awards both within and outside Iran.

Her works are characterized by a bold and explicit social critique, focusing intensely on the new generation, women’s issues, social crises, and the queer community within contemporary Iranian society.

The novel Don’t Worry (AKA In Case of Emergency), published in the USA, was named one of the “Best Books Published in America in 2022” by The New Yorker magazine. Her works have been translated into several international languages, including English, Italian, French, Polish, Turkish, and others.

Due to the critical and subversive nature of her content, Mahsa Mohebali has been under continuous pressure and surveillance from Iranian security forces throughout her writing and artistic career. Furthermore, all of Mohebali’s books are currently subject to a publication ban in Iran and are not permitted to be re-issued. She is currently an Artist at Risk, residing under the Artists at Risk (AR) residency program in Catalonia.