On Monday, October 23rd, Azar Nafisi gave a presentation on her most influential work, Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books. Reading Lolita in Tehran has been published into thirty-two languages and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for over 117 weeks. Her lecture, which was well attended by Rutgers students and NJ community members alike, drew in approximately 750 people. Those who could not find a seat in the multi-purpose room were not turned away; they were ushered to lounge where they could watch the event on television.
Ms. Nafisi is but one of several participants in the English department’s Writers at Rutgers Reading Series, which will span throughout the entire 2006-2007 academic year. Other organizations at Rutgers played a role in facilitating the event; Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi from the Center for Middle Eastern Studies introduced Ms. Nafisi to the crowd. Dr. Amirahmadi described the author as “… a struggler, someone who has struggled for human rights all life long.” Ms. Nafisi’s presentation was followed by a very inspiring question and answer period.
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