TEHRAN -- A number of cultural figures and literati gathered on Saturday at Tehran’s Imam Ali (AS) Religious Arts Museum to celebrate the 72nd birthday of children’s book writer Hushang Moradi Kermani.

Stage actor and director Iraj Raad, actor Dariush Arjomand, as well as the director of the Art and Cultural Organization of Tehran Municipality, Mahmud Salahi, attended the ceremony.

Pointing to the small number of plays written by Moradi Kermani, Raad hoped that the writer would get the chance to write more plays.

“Talking about Moradi Kermani is hard since he possesses a precious, world-famous character, while it is also easy because he is very sincere and very charming, and has always lived far from pride,” Raad noted.

In his brief words Dariush Arjomand also said, “Moradi Kermani has been successful in paying due attention and enlivening the part of literature that had been ignored. 

“Moradi Kermani is frank with his book readers and nothing but straightforwardness is found in his character,” he added. 

“His stories might seem very unpretentious but they carry deep information. They bear things which are needed for the younger generation of today,” Arjomand added.

Mahmud Salahi also called Moradi Kermani an adult who has not forgotten his childhood, and has been friend with many children via his simple stories.

“Our children play with these stories and the writers make their future with their stories, and we must ask God for more good writers like Moradi Kermani,” he remarked.

“I have been through many difficulties so that I could be a writer and here I must say I write in order to be alive and not for anything else,” the writer said on his part.

Several Iranian movies and TV-series, including “Mom’s Guest” directed by Dariush Mehrjuii and “The Stories of Majid” by Kiumars Purahmad, have been produced based on Moradi Kermani’s works of the same names.

An English translation of his autobiography “You’re No Stranger Here” (also known as “Believe It or Not”) by Caroline Croskery was also released by the Candle & Fog Publishing Ltd. during the London Book Fair this year in April. 

His “The Water Urn” and “A Sweet Jam” had previously been translated into English.

Photo: Writer Hushang Moradi Kermani poses beside his picture singed by a number of officials and artists during his 72nd birthday celebration at the Imam Ali (AS) Religious Arts Museum on September 10, 2016. (Honaronline/Mojtaba Arabzadeh)

RM/YAW