Parvin Etesami in the literary and religious context of twentieth-century Iran

Zhinia Noorian received her PhD in Persian and Iranian Studies from Utrecht University in 2023. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher for the ERC Advanced Grant, 'Beyond Sharia: The Role of Sufism in shaping Islam', in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Utrecht University.

Parvin E'tesami (1907-1941) is among the few Persian female poets, who has gained nationwide popularity, while her authorship was disbelieved. She is celebrated in a plethora of publications every year in Iran and beyond. E'tesami is the only female poet who has remained part of the daily lives of people in her society for about a century. Her poetry appears in school curricula both before and after the Revolution of 1979. People use her poetry on social media, particularly in critical times. It is also used in public speeches by Ali Khamenei (r. 1989-present) the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.