Latif PEDRAM

 

Co-founder and Spokesperson of

The Movement for the National Congress of Afghanistan.

 

A well-known writer, journalist and academic.

Latif Pedram was first published in Afghanistan when he was only 14. He has in the last twenty years acquired extensive research, literary and political- journalistic experience.

He was an active member of the Executive Committees of the Union of Writers of Afghanistan and the Union of Journalists.

After being black listed by the Taliban at their arrival in Kabul, in his city of refuge Baghlan, where he also taught at university, he headed the Nasser Khossrow Public library before the Taliban burnt down the 55 000 books it contained.

He lived in Afghanistan during the years of war and opposed the Soviet invasion. He was finally obliged to leave his country in 1998. 

 

Latif Pedram was awarded the Hellman-Helmet prize by Human Rights Watch in July 1999.

He received a special grant from Reporters sans Frontières in December 1998.

He is an honorary Member of the International Parliament of Writers and a guest of the city of Suresnes in France.

He is an Honorary member of Association of the Persian speakers of the World Peyvand and member of the board of editors of Peyvand journal.

LITERATURE, JOURNALISM AND ACADEMIA

 

1996-1998                    Lecturer of literary critique and thought and poetry at the                                                University of Baghlan in Pol-i Khomri (northern Afghanistan).

 

1996-1998                    Deputy director of the Hakim Nasser Khosrow Balki Foundation in                                                Baghlan. Editor-in-Chief of the scientific and research journal                                                Hojjat published by the Association. Founder of the monthly                                        newsletter Kian.

 

1988-1989                    Founder and Editor-in-chief of Shora. An independent journal                                                aimed at strengthening cultural and political resistance to the                                          Soviet occupying forces.

1982-1985                                  Deputy Editor-in-chief of Haghighat-e Enghelab-e Sor. A political, social and cultural affairs daily. Editor-in-chief of the Theoretical supplement. Regular editorials, critiques and poems published in Erfan: the Journal of the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan, Avaz : the Journal of the National Radio and Television of Afghanistan, also other well known publications such as Jowandun, Iness, Hevad.

1989-1991                                  Taught journalism to various groups of students (involved in resistance against the Soviet forces).

SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY

Published Prose/analytical, philosophical and literary essays and books:

·      1979            Delavaraneh kuhestan (The Bravemen from the Mountains)

·      1980            Safarnomeyeh Czechoslovaqui (My Travels in Czechoslovakia)

·      1983            Chand nokteh beh sheeveyeh tarh (A few Points Told in Rough)

·      1988            Darssyahey journalism (2 volumes) (Lessons in Journalism)

·      1990            Chahar magholeyeh falsafi (Four Philosophical Essays)

·      1996            Afateh ideology (The Evil of Ideology)

·      1996            Dar zarurateh jodayee deen az siasat (About the Necessity of Separation of  Religion from Politics)

Published books of poetry in Afghanistan:

·      1979            Naqshi dar abgineh va baran ( A figure on Crystal and Rain)

·      1983            Lahzehay-e massloub (Crucified Moments)

·      1984            She’rhay-e enzeva (Poems of Solitude)

·      1988            Khatabeh az sakouyeh hendo-koush (A letter from the Hend and Koush)

·      1988            Mo’aleghe-ye hashtom (The Eighth Moalegheh)

·      1999            Ta’reef-e talkh-e mandan (Récit de l’amère survie). Khavaran Publishing

House. (Paris)

·      To be published :

Lettres d'un afghan. Presented at the Jean Vilar Theatre in Nov. 2001.

Research on poets and Sufis of the Sefevid Dynasty (15^th century)

Afghanistan during the years of siege

The Psychology of War in Afghanistan

 

 

Numerous articles and interviews in leading newspapers and journals covering areas such as Central Asian politics, history, language, folklore, journalism and cultural domains which have published widely in Europe and Middle Asia. Latif Pedram's poetry has been translated into English, German, Bulgarian, Spanish, French, Russian, Kirgiz, and Arabic.

Participated in and initiated numerous colloquia, conferences and gatherings related to political, social and cultural affairs (in France, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, Holland, Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan). Regularly interviewed by major international radios: the BBC, Radio Free Europe, Voice of America, Radio France International, France Inter, France Culture etc. and television (Arte, FR3, Canal Plus etc.).