Oral History News —February-March 2026

Iranian Oral History Website
Translated by Kianoush Borzouei

2026-4-1

According to the Oral History website, “News of the Month” is a recurring series of reports on that site. These dispatches survey items related to the site’s relatables in print and digital media. Below are selected reports from February-March 2026.

- The book “Ali Shana” by Salomeh‑Sadat Sharifi—an oral history of Ali Razgahnejad’s struggles—was published by Sureh‑Mehr Publishing in 252 pages, priced at 395,000 tomans.

- Gholamreza Azizi, researcher and historian, has reviewed and critiqued the book “Everlasting Spring: The Oral History of Maryam Saeedi” on the IBNA website. The book is among the few oral history interviews of the Sacred Defense era that illuminate aspects of women’s contributions in support roles during the war and the activities of Basij women in the postwar years.

- A critical review session for the oral‑history book “Two Years in Dar al‑Fonun” by Mohtasham Momeni, was held at the Hojjatoleslam Mirjafari Public Library in Arak with the author, critics, and literary enthusiasts in attendance.

- A planning session was convened to document the oral histories of women who played roles in the sacred defense and the Sixth of Bahman epic, attended by officials from the Office for the Preservation of Sacred Defense Works and Resistance Values in Amol.

- The director of the Center for Publishing the Works and Values of the clerics in the Sacred Defense of Khorasan Razavi emphasized compiling oral histories of veteran clerics of the Sacred Defense and Resistance and presenting them in book form.

- A joint meeting between the Director General for the Preservation of Sacred Defense Works and Resistance Values of Hamadan Province and the Director General of the provincial Radio and Television Authority was held to expand media cooperation in Sacred Defense subjects, strengthen productions related to oral history and literature of steadfastness, and leverage the national program “Iran‑e-Jan” to showcase the province’s capacities in sacrifice and martyrdom.

- The memoir volume “From the Life of Davood to Naghshe Jahan,” containing the recollections of Haj Freidoun Mozaffari, was published in pocket format (108 pages) by Yousefi Publishing.

- “The Land of the Sun” by Batoul Mirzaei—a meticulous oral‑history study highlighting the unparalleled role of the inhabitants of Mishkhas rural district in supporting the fronts during the Sacred Defense—was issued in 438 pages (royal octavo) by Qalavizan for the Ilam Provincial Foundation for the Preservation of Sacred Defense Works and Values.

- The Deputy for Literature at the Directorate for the Preservation of Sacred Defense Works and Values in West Azerbaijan announced the annual publication of roughly 60 titles on the Sacred Defense, including combatant memoirs, stories, novels, oral histories, and accounts of the lives of mothers, sisters, and wives of martyrs and fighters.

- The Director General for the Preservation of Sacred Defense Works and Resistance Values in South Khorasan reported that since the start of the year 64 titles have been produced in areas including oral history, combatant memoirs, martyr narratives, poetry, art, and children’s and young adult literature, some of which have already been edited and published.

- On Tuesday, March 19th, the governor of East Azerbaijan told cultural and media officials of the province that compiling oral history and documenting events of this sensitive period is essential to prevent generational rupture and the erosion of the society’s historical memory; cultural and media committees play a crucial role in this endeavor.

• The Cultural Vice‑Chancellery of Jihad‑e‑Daneshgahi, in collaboration with its Arts Unit, issued a national call titled “Ravi‑ye Vatan” (Narrator of the Homeland), inviting compatriots to share their accounts of the “Ramadan War” so that these memories are safeguarded from oblivion and contribute—alongside thousands of other voices—to a genuine, human portrayal of a resilient Iran for future generations.