Meeting Mohammad Zahraee Family at the 9th session of “Oral History of Book”

He Wanted to Establish the Largest Bookstore of Iran

How did it start that led Karnameh Publication?

Maryam Rajabi
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2017-7-3

According to Oral History website of Iran, the 9th session of the second course of the conferences of "Oral History of Book" was held before Mahdieh Mostaghni Yazdi, concessionaire of Karnameh Publication, Makan and Roozbeh Zahraee, offspring of late Mohammad Zahraee, the dead director of Karnmeh Publication, in Saraye Ahle Ghalam on Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. Nasrollah Haddadi, author and researcher, led the session.

Being familiar and marriage with Mohammad Zahraee

In the beginning, Mahdieh Mostaghni Yazdi began his speech: "Mohammad Zahraee was born in Faruj on March 21, 1949. His parents were from Yazd and, on the other hand, he lived in Mashhad and for this reason, he had both dialect of Yazdi and Mashhadi.

I was born in Mashhad on May 23, 1951. My father's ancestors are Yazdi. It was summer of Junior in high school and I was a reporter in Ettelaat Newspaper. I passed every day from Razi bookshop on Saadi Street; the bookstore was for Mohammad. He always opened books as an example in the showcase. I read those books in front of the showcase, but I did not go to the shop because my money was not enough to buy a book. One day a thin young had stood in front of the shop, he told me welcome to the shop so that I bring the book for you and see it in a near distance. I did not accept and went. My daily passing and looking at the books from the showcase was start of acquaintance of Muhammad and me. After a Short time, because I became librarian of our high school, I bought him book. He always introduced me books in a skillful way that I could not to not buy them. It caused that I always be indebted to him and had to come back to buy books again and again. His behavior was purposefully, but I did not know at that time. I was his client until the last year of high school.

One day when I went to the store it was closed. For a few days, the shop was closed, until one day Asghar Firoozi, his friend, opened the shop. I asked him about Mr. Zahraee and he said that SAVAK was captured him and the shop was closed. Mohammad had a notebook for recording installments of people, and SAVAK had seen my name too in the same notebook and summoned me. This happened around 1347 (SH). When I went there, I said I am a high school librarian, and my high school stamp, which was on my books, became my claims proof. One of our neighbors, whom we had been in family relationship with him, worked in SAVAK, interceded and prevented to stay there even one night. Mohammad impeachment was selling books such as Nemat Mirzazadeh's poetry book which he had opened them in the showcase. This led to closure of Razi bookstore and was never opened. I had heard Mohammad paid his elder mother expenses, so I asked and found his home address and paid gradually my debt which was about 220000 Rials. This caused when he was released from prison, he found my home address through one of acquaintances and sent a message that he had been liberated from jail. I went his house to meet him.

In the afternoons, I went to Mohammad's house, and he told me from [journal] of the week book interesting stories. Issues such as struggle against the Shah's regime were discussed, and we told ourselves that try in this way in order to change the system. One day his mother came from work, while her hands were frozen due to cold. He pressed his mother's hands. His mother said, "If you can squeeze his hands". Mohammad had stated in prison that I was happy that my imprisonment was near house of a girl whom I loved, but I was totally ignorant. I was very saddened by the words of her mother and said her mother: "My hands will never take his hands." The next time that I saw him, he said: "My mother is a laboring woman, why did you make her upset on that day? This time he talked with me about future life. He said he was interested in me and had spent many years in jail while he had thought about me. At the moment I became silent. My father was a traditional architect and opposed to politics. As much as he loved book who people called him Akbar Eshghi. The first person who took his children book in the family was my father. In fact, I was familiar with book before getting acquainted with Zahraee. My father, despite being traditional, gave us freedom and trusted us fully, but I did not dare to tell him about Zahraee. Muhammad did not have father and brother. On the other hand, it was possible her mother to expose to be political and going to prison of her son during courtship. So Muhammad showed himself as a brother who did not have and proposed me. I had already coordinated with my mother. My family was very bad with smoking. I had forgotten to tell him the issue. Incidentally, he turned on a cigarette when he arrived and due to high stress put it reverse on his lips. That night nothing was according to our schedule. Eventually I got my father and said that this person is my courter. My father asked about his job and his place of residence. He replied. I told my dad that I love him and I want to live with him. My father was very angry. He said "I do not give my girl to a smoker, a bookseller and someone who is in Tehran." because Mohammad, after closure of Razi Publication, was working in Payam Publication of Tehran and was traveling between Mashhad and Tehran. Mohammed said, "I will wean myself off smoking, but why are you disagree with bookselling?" My father replied, "Because it is not a prosperous job."

Mohammad left our house in a disturbed condition that night, but sometimes later, with help of his friends, we espoused. One day when I wanted to go to competitive examination classroom, I went to the railway and came to Tehran with help of my friends. Mohammed, in the night I was supposed to go to Tehran, had very worked and tired, so I stayed asleep in the morning. When I arrived at the railway, I waited from 6:00 until 9:00 a.m. I thought Mohammad had left me. I was very worried. Yavar, who was our joint friend, took me their home. Then he went to Payam Publication and looked for Mohammad. He realized that Mohammad had slept. He wrote a message for him and wrote his home address so Mohammed could come on me. In the same afternoon he came on me. After a week our parents found us with a query. At that time Zahraee worked in Payam Publication. We rented a small house with a room and a kitchen on Azadi Street. Because I had not bought dowry, we had a few things at home. I was worried after hearing coming of my parents. During the week that they were in Tehran, they did not talk to us. I was willing to endure every suffering, but they talked to me; they did not even speak words for bothering me. My family economic situation was good. My father, insistently and without agreement of me and Mohammad, bought gas stove, plastic service and some bedding for us. On the day they wanted to return to Mashhad, my dad told Mohammad: "I will leave my daughter in confidence with you." I got pregnant Roozbeh, and on the other hand I found a job at the University of Tehran Library."

Creating a New Attitude

Concessionaire of Karnameh Publication said: "Mohammad's certification was under diploma, but his literacy was high. He had an open thought. He was very high-minded. He always considered distant horizons. When he worked in Razi Publication, because there was no extensive distribution, sometimes came to Tehran for providing books. When he went Franklin [Publication], they noticed he was an interested young. All those who worked in Franklin had a high level of literacy and experience, but interest, love, and scope of science that Mohammad had gotten over time caused to be much influential in the Publication; as its employees found a new attitude toward people and not measuring them based on their degree and at the same time consider their tacts. Mohammad read each book again and again and thought about it. Parviz Asadipoor was his friend who worked in Payam Publication. He was very skilled at printing and scrutiny. At the time, Mohammad was not enough skillful in editing, printing, and such works. At the other hand, Mr. Asadipoor's eyes were very weak, and we started working as helping him. He amended the first forms that had very mistakes, and we took a sample. Mohammad brought it home, I read it, he adapted it with Mr. Asidipoor's work, but after a while, Mr. Asidipoor did not come due to some reasons, and Mohammad did his works. In fact, before our marriage, Mohammad worked in Franklin Publication, which increased [his] knowledge of book. In this publication he was acquainted with Hormoz Vahid. Firstly Hormoz had a positive effect on Zahraee. In 1350 (SH) Mohammad came to Nil Publication. We did not have any money to work in the publication, but he went there and said he wanted to partake because he thought it was a shame that the publication to be closed. On the other hand, because he did not have any money to participate and promised to partake, he had to share several people in his shareholder that he paid shareholder of some of them over time."

Transition in Nil Publication

In continuance of the 9^th session of second period of sessions of "Oral History of Book", Makan Zahraee told, "I was born in September 14, 1975." Then, after words of his mother, he said:" When my father entered Nil Publication, because of his experience in Franklin Publication he managed Nil with a new formation. Initially he brought the publication from Refahi Alley to in front of Tehran University. There was a Traffic Police kiosk in front of the store which had completely limited view of the shop. My dad, helped by Allame Jafari and Mr. Zororfchi, talked with Traffic Police and then wrote a letter to police headquarter and convicted them to replace that kiosk. After replacing the kiosk, the shop got a good position. With that background, relationships and beliefs that Mr. Zahraee started his work, such as arrangement, editing, and modern form of book, he revolutionized Nil Publication and began to implement all his ideas, as Nil Publication in 1350s (SH) was one of the most prominent and was very lucrative.

One day my father sat in the bookstore. A gentleman with a fur coat and very rich appearance entered and asked: "Who is Zahraee?" I've come to buy Nil. "My dad replied Nil is not for sale. Later he understood that he was Abdolrahim Jafari, owner of Amir Kabir Publication. The Revolution happened and the person did not follow for buying Nil [Publication]. My father was very happy. He said if the revolution was not happened, we would have to sell the whole or part of the publication to that person. One of measure that he did in the Publication was that he got privilege of books of M.E. Behazin and Shamlou and some other writers, and contributed to prosperity of Nil. My father believed that even though right of publishing a book to be purchased from his author, but when it is reprinted it should be also paid a part to its author in order to help generating thought [by] authors and writers, so they do not have much financial concern. This caused disagreements between my father and Mr. Azimi and Mr. Poorpirar, who were other Nil partners. These disagreements were continued, and if my father's insistence on to be illuminated light of Nil, they might were resolved."

Mostaghni Yazdi continued the session, "Zahraee was arrested from 1981 to 1984 because of his political tendencies towards Tudeh Party. At that time, I worked at Atomic Energy [Organization]. Due to imprisonment of Zahraee, they purged me and my efforts to stay there did not make any difference. Due to financial difficulties, I left the house in Ferdowsi Square. I sent Makan and Roozbeh to Mashhad before my parents. I myself nursed patients and at the same time knitting and sewing so that I could pay expenses of living. After liberation of Mohammad from prison, he was no longer engaged in political issues. He reestablished and evolved Nil Publication, but when Mr. Poorpirar was released, disagreements were revived. That's why Mohammad once abandoned it. At first I objected him because I had worked very much in the publication. I helped Mohammad in amending works despite having some children so that he explained me his reason and stated he could make further progress through leaving Nil, and when I heard his reason, I accepted his leaving."

Zahraee and Other Periods of Book Publishing

Makan Zahraee also said: "my father abandoned Nil in 1985 and came to Golpakhsh distributing center. Some of his friends and family helped him in establishing the center. It became the most important center for distribution of books in Iran, and then as well as the most important music distribution center of Iran. Zahraee duplicated music tape in the center, and about 300,000 tapes were produced and sold, but there was a misunderstanding about song [Tasnif] of Shajarian, which this is part of the song: "Shahre Yaran Ra Che Shod (What happened for city of friends)?" And one could understand "Shariaran Ra Che Shod (what happened for kings)?" was? This led my father to be imprisoned and end of Golpakhsh activity. A part of Mr. Shajarian's works were performed there, and Shafa Publication is in heart of Golpakhsh. The center was continued to exist until about 1988."

Then Mahdieh Mostaghni Yazdi stated: "Mohammad had great thoughts, and always acted with this protect. He did not pay much attention to financial matters. In years that he developed, it was actually because his children and I undertook financial and banks accountings. There were a lot of smugglings in those music tapes, which caused us a lot of damage; even other bookstores sold books that were printed in Nil, such as " The Enchanted Soul ", who Zahraee pursued and collected books."

In this section, the meeting manager reminded the points that Mohammad Zahraei, since 1988 and after center of Golpakhsh, started again from zero with a new approach and much experience, and established Cheshm-O Cheragh Publication. The first book that was published in Cheshm-O Cheragh was "The gate of Ivy and mist" by Kasra Anghaee. Then issue of publication license was raised and because of his political background, they didn't permit him to publish, then Mahdieh got his license. Afterwards, Karnameh Publication was formed and in fact, he assigned logo of Cheshm-O Cheragh for Karnameh.

Makan Zahraee continued: "In 1988, when my father was separated [in order to be autonomous], he got a floor of a building which was for Mr. Ebtehaj. A part of it became workshop of role that later became Karnameh Publication. The role workshop carried out preparing the books, and when Karnameh Publication was completely formed, works of preparation, production, and much of publishing tasks were done there. Moreover, in 1988, he and Mr. Mousavi established Mahoor, my brother's name, Publication. My father designed logo of the publication. Collaboration with the person was finished around year 1990 and Mr. Mosavi undertook part of the floor that Mahoor Publication was located, and the current Mahoor Publication is also there. The office and then archive [of the publication] of Karnameh were in the same building until death of father. Preparation, processing and sometimes consulting of many musical works were took place in workshop of role in 1990s. From 1988 to 1997, design and performance of the most important musical works in workshop of role was done by my father. Preparation, designing and performing important works such as Bung Group, Honar-e Aval (the First Art), Avaz-e Jonoub (song of South), Nei-davood etc. all were done by my father. The origin of this work was begun since the same music broadcast in 1980s, which continued as designing and publishing of music in 1990s. Mr Zahraee did important measures in field of bookselling in two periods. First, in 1980s, he brought music formally into bookstore, because [music] products were sold in Lalezar or in cassette sellers. This [method] was developed and today music is a part of bookstores. In 1990s, he entered bookstores, professionally and extensively, stationary and children's educational products. The culmination of these measures was led Shahr-e Ketab (book city) which was opened in 1999."

Then Mahdieh Mostaghni said about that many believed Mohammad Zahraee was a wealthy man, "he was not rich. Most of book works were undertaken by me and my sons. I visited books at home by phone, and then I brought books, helped by my sons, in front of the university and distributed them."

Positive imagery on future

Then Roozbeh Zohraee said: "I was born in September 21, 1973. I was admitted in university and before going to University, I went [Publication] office and recorded more serious works with my father. The result was that after three months I did not abandon it. I am glad about this because publishing is a space that has gone and will continue by love, patience and interest, as if you do not have any of these, the work would be imperfect."

He added: "My father started a work called "Fundamental Theory of Music" in Cheshm-O Cheragh Publication which it was almost two decades ahead of its time and before was published before 1990s. When the book was published, it was awarded Iran’s Book of the Year Awards and book of "Hafez, by Sayeh" was excellent in terms of performance and artistically, quality of letters and arrangement, binding and a cliché that was implemented on the book. There is a detailed story, and ultimately, due to lack of publication license of Cheshm-O Cheragh Publication, [in the first prints] it was published under logo of Toos Publication. My father, whenever intended to imagine future, he said one day I would establish the largest bookstore of Iran. Optimism, patience and crazy pursuit of anything, along with this positive imaginary, had fantastic effects on my father's life."

The first meeting of the new sessions of "Oral History of Book" was held on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 attended by Haj Beitollah Radkhah (Mashmachi), Director of Tehran-Tabriz Publications, the second meeting on Wednesday, April 19 attended by Jamshid Esmaeilian, Director of Partov Publication, the third meeting on Wednesday, April 26 with presence of Abolqasem Ashraf Ol-Ketabi, Director of Ashrafi Publication, the fourth meeting on Wednesday, May 17, attended by Hojatoleslam Buyuk Chitchian, Director of Mortazavi Publication, the fifth meeting on Tuesday, May 23 attended by Seyyed Jalal Ketabchi, Director of Elmieh Eslamieh Publication, and Seyyed Farid Ketabchi and Seyyed Mohammad Baqer Ketabchi, directors of Eslamieh Publication, the Sixth Meeting on Tuesday, May 30, again attended by Seyyed Jalal Ketabchi, director of Eslamieh Publication, Seyyed Mojtaba Ketabchi, Seyyed Farid Ketabchi and Seyyed Mohammad Baqer Ketabchi, Managers of Elmieh Eslamieh Publication, the Seventh Meeting on Tuesday, June 06, with presence of Morteza Akhundi, director of Darolkotob Al-Eslamieh Publication, the eighth meeting on Tuesday, June 13, re-attended by Morteza Akhundi, director of DarolKotob Al-Eslamieh Publication at Khane Ketab Institution's Saraye Ahle Ghlalam.

As well as, the first course of sessions of "Oral History of Book" was held from second half of 1393 (SH) to summer of 1394 (SH) helped by Nasrollah Haddadi in Khaneh Ketab's Saraye Ahle Ghlalam. The results of these meetings were published in a book titled "Oral History of Book" in 560 pages by Khaneh Ketab Institution.