TEHRAN – A Persian translation of Christine Nostlinger’s “The Dwarf in the Head” (“Der Zwerg im Kopf”) has been published by Afarinegan Publications in Tehran.

The book has been translated into Persian by Gita Rasuli.

Shortly before the first day of school, Anna discovered him, the tiny dwarf with a fingernail in the purple pointed cap. Without being asked, he has settled in her head and is now interfering in everything, something which turns out to be extremely practical as Anna can discuss any of her problems with him. And she has plenty of them, because she is a child of divorce and lives with her dad. Mum is responsible for her in the afternoon. It’s quite complicated, but it’s even more complicated at school because Anna loves Peter, but Hermann loves Anna. So it’s only good when a dwarf-like that intervenes.

Christine Nostlinger was an Austrian writer best known for her children’s books.

By her own admission, Nostlinger was a wild and angry child. After finishing high school, she wanted to become an artist, and studied graphic arts at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna. She worked as a graphic artist for a few years, before marrying a journalist, Ernst Nostlinger, with whom she had two daughters.

The majority of Nostlinger’s production is literature for children and for young people, but she also wrote for television, radio and newspapers. She centers on the needs of children in her work, with an anti-authoritarian bent. She does not shy away from tackling difficult subjects like racism, discrimination and self-isolation.

Her first book was “The Fiery Red Friederike” (“Die feuerrote Friederike”) published in 1970, in which she illustrated herself. 

Photo: A poster for the Persian translation of Christine Nostlinger’s “The Dwarf in the Head”.

RM/MMS/YAW