In this week's edition of Endnotes, we take a look at Shokoofeh Azar's The Gowkaran Tree in the Middle of Our Kitchen, where a Zoroastrian family’s peace is shattered by the Iranian Revolution. In its review, PW says "There’s plenty of beauty on offer here."
Here's how the book came together:
Shokoofeh Azar
“This novel was born from my forced exile. After multiple arrests and threats due to my journalistic work in Iran, I found solace in writing about the truths of Iran while in Australia. This led me to conceive a trilogy that not only exposes the regime’s atrocities but also highlights Iran’s rich culture, art, mysticism, philosophy, and literature.”
Michael Reynolds
“When Shokoofeh was at work on her second book, an even more ambitious work that she and her Australian publisher felt might be better served by a larger indie like Europa, we spoke about becoming her primary publisher. I acquired English-language and translation rights for what would become Gowkaran Tree even before it was finished, which is very unusual for us at Europa. It’s an incredible supernova of a novel.”
Ginevra Rapisardi
“From the beginning, the idea was to use one of the author’s beautiful paintings. We looked at several together and chose one, and then I reworked the image, almost like a collage, by rearranging and adjusting elements to create the right composition for the cover. Throughout the process, we collaborated closely with the author to ensure the final design aligned with her vision.”
