Bijan Najdi (1941-1997) was an Iranian writer and poet most known for his collection of short stories. Growing up in north of Iran alongside the Caspian Sea and Elburz mountains, Najdi’s poetry is a direct response to the green and generous landscape against the struggles of modernity and the aftermath of Iran-Iraq war in the post-revolution Iran.

Parisa Saranj was born in Isfahan, Iran. She holds a BA in journalism from University of Massachusetts Amherst and MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Goucher College. A freelance translator and editor, she is at work on a memoir of growing up in 1990s’ Iran. Her writing and translations have appeared in several online publications, including Aslan Media and LobeLog.com.