Mimi Khalvati
Encyclopedia
Mimi Khalvati is an Iranian-born British poet.
, Iran
in 1944. She grew up on the Isle of Wight
and was educated in Switzerland
at the University of Neuchâtel
, and in London at the Drama Centre and the School of Oriental and African Studies
. She then worked as a theatre director in Tehran, translating from English into Persian
and devising new plays, as well as co-founding the Theatre in Exile group. She now lives in Hackney and is a Visiting Lecturer at Goldsmiths College and a director of the London Poetry School.
Khalvati was 47 when her first book appeared. Its title, In White Ink, derives from the work of Helene Cixous
who claimed that women in the past have written 'in white ink'. Michael Schmidt observes that Khalvati is "formally a most resourceful poet".
Khalvati is the founder of The Poetry School, running poetry workshops and courses in London, and is co-editor of the school's first two anthologies of new writing: Tying the Song and Entering The Tapestry. She is also tutor at the Arvon Foundation
, and has taught creative writing at universities and colleges in the US and England.
Life and career
She was born in TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in 1944. She grew up on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and was educated in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
at the University of Neuchâtel
University of Neuchâtel
The University of Neuchâtel is a French-speaking university in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The University has five faculties and more than a dozen institutes, including arts and human sciences, natural sciences, law, economics and theology. The Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences is the largest...
, and in London at the Drama Centre and the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
. She then worked as a theatre director in Tehran, translating from English into Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and devising new plays, as well as co-founding the Theatre in Exile group. She now lives in Hackney and is a Visiting Lecturer at Goldsmiths College and a director of the London Poetry School.
Khalvati was 47 when her first book appeared. Its title, In White Ink, derives from the work of Helene Cixous
Hélène Cixous
Hélène Cixous is a professor, French feminist writer, poet, playwright, philosopher, literary critic and rhetorician. She holds honorary degrees from Queen's University and the University of Alberta in Canada; University College Dublin in Ireland; the University of York and University College...
who claimed that women in the past have written 'in white ink'. Michael Schmidt observes that Khalvati is "formally a most resourceful poet".
Khalvati is the founder of The Poetry School, running poetry workshops and courses in London, and is co-editor of the school's first two anthologies of new writing: Tying the Song and Entering The Tapestry. She is also tutor at the Arvon Foundation
Arvon Foundation
The Arvon Foundation is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom which promotes creative writing. It is based in the Free Word Centre for literature, literacy and free expression in London.-History:...
, and has taught creative writing at universities and colleges in the US and England.
Works
- In White Ink (Carcanet Press,1991)
- Mirrorwork (Carcanet Press ,1995)
- Entries on Light (Carcanet Press, 1997)
- Selected Poems (Carcanet Press, 2000)
- The Chine (Carcanet Press, 2002)
- The Meanest Flower (Carcanet Press, 2007)
External links
- Poetry School website
- Profile at Poetry Translation Centre, with links to poems, articles, audio and video footage
- Mimi Khalvati official website
- Listen to Mimi Khalvati reading her poetry - a British Library recording, 14 July 2008.
- Profile and poems, written and audio at Poetry Archive
- Second Light profile and poems
- "Interview: Labelled a "Persian poet", Mimi Khalvati owes as much to the Isle of Wight as Iran" Independent 17 August 2007