TEHRAN- A literary forum titled "Jalal, Literature, and Social Engagement" is scheduled to be held at the Amir Kabir Publications Bookstore on Tuesday.

The gathering is organized to commemorate the 56th anniversary of the passing of Jalal Al-e Ahmad, a prominent figure in contemporary Iranian literature.

The event will feature speeches by educator and researcher Majid Aqai, as well as writer and expert Somayyeh Jamali, who will serve as moderator.

Born in 1923, Al-e Ahmad spent his childhood in relative comfort. Many members of his family, including his father, older brother and a brother-in-law, were all Muslim clerics.

Early in the 1930s, when the Ministry of Justice under Reza Pahlavi, the Iranian monarch who ruled from 1921 to 1941, began to regulate the activities of the clergy, Al-e Ahmad’s father went into voluntary retirement. His decision forced young Jalal to leave school and work at various jobs in the marketplace such as watchmaking and selling leather goods.

He was a member of the Tudeh Party, an Iranian Communist organization, and also translated works by French writers André Gide, Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus into Persian.

Throughout his life, Al-e Ahmad held various positions such as a teacher, journalist, and university lecturer.

In 2008, Iran established the Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards in memory of the writer, who passed away in 1969. 

He is widely regarded as one of the most influential Iranian writers of the 20th century, renowned for his works exploring political, social, and economic issues that shape Iranian society. His critical essays, including "Westoxication" and "Occidentosis," remain relevant even today.

His novel "By the Pen" explores the connections between an individual's personality and the society they live in, while his book "The School Principal" depicts dictatorship and corruption in the education system. Al-e Ahmad's contributions to Iranian literature and society cannot be overstated.

SAB/