Saboktakin Saloor (October 26, 1923 – November 8, 1991) was an

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

journalist and historical novelist. He also wrote many popular serialized radio and television programs.

Life and works

His novels, which include ''Ghorbangah'', ''Bedoone Esgh Hargez'', ''Ghobad'' and ''Gharatgaran'' were suspenseful stories usually marked by themes of sacrifice, honour, and family

tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...

. In 1980, following the

Islamic revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Im ...

, he was forced to flee

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

as the environment was no longer safe for a journalist and author known for his glorification of Persian monarchical history. He settled in

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, Canada, and died there in 1991. Saloor had a passion for storytelling; his stories, usually set in Ancient Persia, expressed the importance of family and the patriarchal figure as a symbol of self-sacrifice. In terms of literary technique, he was heavily influenced by Persian literary masters such as

Ferdowsi Abu'l-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi (also Firdawsi, ; 940 – 1019/1025) was a Persians, Persian poet and the author of ''Shahnameh'' ("Book of Kings"), which is one of the world's longest epic poetry, epic poems created by a single poet, and the gre ...

, but also by American cinema, particularly

Westerns The Western is a genre of fiction typically set in the American frontier (commonly referred to as the "Old West" or the "Wild West") between the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the closing of the frontier in 1890, and commonly associated wit ...

. A master of building suspense, his stories were a constant draw for radio audiences in the 1960s. Saloor's books remain in print to this day, and many of his stories continue to be serialized in Iranian newspapers across North America. He was the great-grandson of

Abdol-samad Mirza Ezz ed-Dowleh Saloor Abdosamad Mirza Ez od-Dowleh () (May 1843 – 1929) was a Persian prince of Qajar Dynasty and fifth son of Mohammad Shah Qajar by his wife Ogholbeigeh Khanum, a lady of Turkmen origin. He is the ancestor of Salour (Saloor) family. In 1873, Ezz ...

References

"Gharatgaran" Television Series
''Saboktakin Saloor'' (novel) *Saboktakin Saloor, ''Bedoone Esgh Hargez'', 2006, *Saboktakin Saloor, ''Ghobad'', 1997, *Saboktakin Saloor, ''Ghorbangah'', 2000, Qajar princes 1923 births 1991 deaths Iranian male novelists Iranian novelists Iranian emigrants to Canada 20th-century novelists Iranian journalists {{Iran-writer-stub