This issue of the journal includes a special section on Persian Narrative, guest edited by Drs. Julie Duvignau, Yassaman Khajehi, and Justine Landau, which features five articles devoted to types of narrative ranging from a study of Dārāb nāma to a Timurid adaptation of the romance of Bahrām Gūr, early Persian verse in Mutaqārib to a study of Ta'zieh, and Kiarostami's renowned film Close Up. Instigated by a 2019 conference entitled “Modalities and challenges of the narrative in the Persianate world,” held at the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales in Paris, the original plan was for a special issue in honor of the late Professor Marina Gaillard (1955–2015). My predecessor, Dr. Siavoshi, approved the plans for a special issue well over two years ago. But long delays resulted in two articles by Drs. Julia Rubinovich and Christoph Werner, intended for the special issue, being published separately in an earlier issue of the journal. Published as a special section, introduced by the guest editors, the essays delve into the multifaceted and diverse genres of narrative used in the Persian literary, cultural, and filmic tradition. I thank Dr. Landau and the other contributors for working closely with the editorial team to bring this special section to fruition.
Five additional articles appear in this issue, offering insight into the transcription system adopted for Zoroastrian Middle Persian texts, the history of the postal system under the Safavid and Afsharids, nineteenth-century practices of shaming and punishment involving hair and hats, the tradition of Shadow play, and translation as a means of re-narrating history to conform to the expectations and sensitivities of Nasser al-din Shah, who had a keen interest in European-language publications about himself and the Qajar dynasty.
This issue also features a review essay on Yazd and its Zoroastrian history, book reviews, and short reviews of Persian-language sources aimed at fostering collaborations and disseminating news of publications in Iran.
