One hundred Iranian poets have boycotted all government literary awards to protest the oppression of their people’s movement toward “peace and democracy” in the post-election events.
The announcement speaks out against the censorship, threats and arrests that numerous poets have been subjected to. The signatories declare that in “protest to the current national atmosphere and in empathy with the people,” they will not participate in government-sponsored contests. The announcement has been signed by 100 poets such as Kaboutar Arshadi, Ali Sobati and Maryam Houleh.
