Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) - Shiraz Short Story Festival to launch in early May

The Persian Department of the University of Shiraz will hold a short story festival in early May 2011. The subject is free with special focus on children's literature.

IBNA: Kavoos Hasanli said: "The idea was first suggested in one of our weekly sessions by a number of students. After necessary survey the plan was put on the agenda of the Scientific Society and it was decided that each year the festival be held at both provincial and national levels and two sections of free subject and children's literature. The geography of participants for the first round of the festival will be Fars and university students in this province.

He then mentioned the main goal of this festival is to pave the way for novice writers – especially of this province – and providing an opportunity for fortification of story writing in Fars as a valuable literary genre as well as support for literary creativity at literary cultural research hub of Fars.

"Another goal of us," he continued, "is to make connections between non-academic elite with the academic and official atmosphere of the university and to encourage literary talents of the province to work in the field of children's literature."

Hasanli also referred to the establishment of this festival as an acknowledged annual festival of short story within the province and further growth to the national state as the other goal.

He continued: "Organizers of Short Story festival also tend to publish a special volume of superior stories each year as the output of the festival. Also Hozeh Honari of Fars has volunteered for publication of these stories."

Elaborating on the schedule, Hasanli said: "The submission due of the Short Story Festival was 6th March 2011 and the assessment phase began immediately after that and finished on 9 April. The main assessment, however, began on 11 April and will end on 2 May 2011."

He asserted that the closing ceremony of the festival will be held in early May, and Khalil Akbarifard, student of Persian Language and Literature is elected as executive manager of the first round of Short Story Festival.

The secretariat of the festival has launched a website for propagating more information which is accessible at www.sahi.moelmi.ir .

Dr Hasanli added: "In the designated span of time, 233 works were submitted to the secretariat of the festival among which 215 work were qualified (164 works in free subject and 51 works in children's literature sections).

"At the second phase, 40 works in the free subject and 30 works in children's literature were chosen. The jurors in this phase were Abutorab Khosravi, Babak Tayebi, Ahmad Akbarpour, and Saeid Hesampour."

He continued: "Hossein Sanapour and Hassan Mirabedini, two experts of story writing will lecture at the closing ceremony of the festival as special guests."

Hasanli finally expressed his satisfaction with the qualitative level of received stories in the children's section.