● Birthplace: Tehran
● Website: www.faribakalhor.com
Biography
At the time of Islamic Revolution in 1978, Fariba Kalhor was seventeen years old and her life took a special direction under the influence of revolution. She was born into a large family and is the seventh child in the family. The year she graduated and aspired to go to university, the Cultural Revolution led to the closure of universities. She happened to leave the Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents, and at the age of nineteen she became the cultural instructor of Library No. 3 of the Center and then Library No. 20. Being in a library environment, dealing with children and doing cultural activities such as reading books, storytelling and book introductions made him acquainted with hundreds of children’s books and started writing. She told her first story to a friend to tell to Mostafa Rahmandoust at the Center for Intellectual Development. At the same time, she saw a small ad in one of the magazines inviting authors to collaborate. Relying on the same story, she followed the ad and left Tehran’s education district 2; Who had published several issues of children’s magazines. Less than a week after appearing in a new magazine, she followed her story. At that time, Mostafa Rahmandoust had left the Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents to launch Roshd magazines.
Following her first story, Fariba Kalhor received a stunning offer. Mr. Rahmandoust told him that if she wanted to work for a magazine, why did she choose Region 2 Education magazine? She was offered a job at Roshd Magazine. Fariba Kalhor’s presence as a cultural instructor in the center of intellectual development was about three years and in Roshd magazines for eight years. In Roshd magazines, she was supposed to read only books, especially novels, and be trained to enter official work in Roshd magazines at the right time.
It had not been more than a month or two since the pleasure of reading novels and teaching storytelling that one of the authors of Roshd-e-Daneshmooz magazine stated that she had a lot of work to do and could not write a scientific article for the magazine. The editor-in-chief of Roshd magazines remembered Fariba Kalhor, asking her to prepare herself for writing. Thus, the first article about him published in Roshd magazines was scientific material that was written in the form of a story and with the constant characters of “Buzz and the Bee” every month.
The universities reopened in 1983 and she began her studies in the field of educational sciences at the University of Tehran. At the same time, she studied Persian language and literature at the Azad University. In 1987, she received a bachelor’s degree in educational sciences and studied for a master’s degree in educational management at the University of Tehran. However, due to special problems that Kalhor never explained in detail, she left his master’s degree at the thesis stage.
In 1991, Soroush Publications invited him to start a children’s magazine. The result of this invitation was the launch and founding of Soroush Children’s Magazine with Mostafa Rahmandoust. In September 1991, when the first issue of Soroush Children Magazine was published, Fariba Kalhor was one of the two editors of the magazine. A few years later, Kalhor was invited to work as the secretary of urban and environmental services for the Aftabgardan newspaper. But her work in that newspaper did not last more than six months. The noisy environment of the newspaper did not suit her mood.
In 1991, she wrote her first teen novel in the fantasy genre. The book “Today is my swallow, tomorrow is your swallow” is the first teen fantasy novel in Iran. She got married in 2001 and two years later her only son was born. Until 2004, she was the editor of Children Magazine. This year, little by little, the managerial changes of Soroush Publications began. First, the adolescent Soroush Teen Magazine underwent a change, and then it was the turn of the Soroush Children Magazine.
If we consider the beginning of Fariba Kalhor’s professional activity in 1983 and entering Rushd magazines, she has been writing for children and teenagers for about thirty-five years. Her work is the result of more than twenty children’s novels, hundreds of stories, educational materials, rewriting and translation. The authors of the book “Figures of Children and Adolescents’ Literature” in Volume 5 of this collection, which is dedicated to the study of Fariba Kalhor’s works up to 1999, have written: “The first point that attracts attention in the review of her books is and the age of the audience. In a way, this suspicion may arise, as if there are two or more different authors named Fariba Kalhor.
By 1998, the number of her published books reach more than 200 volumes, many of which are collections of stories. Considering the stories and articles published in children’s magazines, the number of her articles reaches more than a thousand. For this reason, Fariba Kalhor has been called the “Lady of a Thousand Stories”. Although there are authors today who have published many books, this title was given to Fariba Kalhor when she was about forty years old. In the following years, Fariba Kalhor tried her hand at adult novels and has published five adult novels so far.
She has won numerous prestigious awards. From the Book of the Year award, which she has received twice so far, to the badge of the month of the Children Writers Association, letters of appreciation from the Children and Adolescents’ Intellectual Development Center, Soroush Nojavan Magazine, Salam Bachaha magazine, Parvin Award, etc., as well as dozens of letters of appreciation . In 2012, after receiving two commendations from the Parvin Prize for the novel The Return of Herdad and Orange Stories, she asked festival officials not to nominate his books for any domestic awards to give young and novice writers a chance. (Although the institutions that were not aware of Fariba Kalhor’s resignation in 2016 and 2018 have given awards to some of her works).
In November 2016, she wrote two letters of protest against the selection process of the Hans Christian Andersen and Astrid Lindgren Award nominees, questioning everything that has been done in the forty years since the revolution to select the nominees for these two international awards and domestic awards. .
At the end of November 2016, this hard-working writer announced her resignation from the Association of Child and Adolescent Writers with another protest note on his personal Facebook page.
In November 2018, she registered Fariba Kalhor Children’s Literature Center (FCLC) in Toronto, Canada, with the aim of helping the growth of Iranian children’s literature. She currently resides in Canada and lives there with her family.
Picture Books For Children
2016 – Grandfather’s teeth – Illustrated by Nargess Shafiee / Amirkabir, Tehran
2016 – Cubic cat – Illustrated by Mahshid Raghemi / Amirkabir, Tehran
2015 – Run away again and again – Illustrated by Parasto Haghi / Elmi-Farhangi, Tehran
2014 – One Jump two Jumps and three Jumps – Illustrated by Maryam Tavahodi / Peydayesh, Tehran
2013 – The necklace that was gorgeous – Illustrated by Farid Amali / Negarineg, Tehran
2013 – The same old lady bug – Illustated by Farid Amali / Negarineg, Tehran
2013 – The tiny tongue that spoke well – llustated by Farid Amali / Negarineg, Tehran
2013 – On whose arms should I should jump in? – Illustrated by Farid Amali / Negarineg, Tehran
2011 – Heat-sensitive Cold-sensitive – Illustrated by Faeze Taghizadeh / Behnashr, Tehran
2003 – The cyclist old lady – Illustrated by Neda Azimi / Madrese, Tehran
2009 – What’s wrong? – Illustrated by Sahar Haghgo / Behnashr, Tehran
2009 – A small black car – Illustrated by Samira Namayandegi / Nashr-e-shahr, Tehran
2009 – A tired mom and smiling boy – Illustrated by Shiva Ziyayi / Madrese, Tehran
2009 – I can only be a dad – Illustrated by Hadis Ghorban / Nashr-e-Shahr, Tehran
2007 – The car that eats the street – Illustrted by Behrang Mazlomi / Nasher-e-shahr, Tehran
2005 – Mr. Watermelon – Illustrated by Nahid Kazemi / Behnashr, Tehran
2004 – Bicycle and the bird – Illustrated by Mahkame Shabani / Behnashr, Tehran
2004 – The dog that barked a lot – Illustrated by Rashin Khayriye / Kanoon, Tehran
2003 – The ground that shakes – Illustrated by Amir Shabani / Madrese, Tehran
2003 – A thousand steps ladder – Illuastrated by Alireza Shabani / Madrese, Tehran
2003 – I am the same I am the same – Illustrated by Neda Azimi / Kanoon, Tehran
2001 – Wish cat – Illustrated by Ali Khodayi / Hannaneh, Tehran
1999 – Our Iranian cat – Illustrated by Sajjad Razghi / Kanook, Tehran
1997 – The last unicorn – Illustrated by Kazem Talayi / Soroush, Tehran
1996 – A lady with thousands of stories – Illustrated by Mohamadali Banasasi / Soroush, Tehran
1992 – The magic straw – Illustrated by Kazem Talayi / Ghasedak Shadi, Tehran
1992 – What do I do with my sadness? – Illustrated by Mohamad Hosain Tehrani / Hamkelasi, Tehran
1990 – The wind and the kite – Illustrated by Mahnosh Moshiri / Soroush, Tehran
1989 – The little fellow traveler – Illustrated Simin shahravan / Reyhan, Tehran
1989 – The whistle of the ruler – Illustrated by Mahin javaherian / Mehrabghalam, Tehran
1989 – The Travel stories – Illustrated by Mahin javaherian / Amirkabir, Tehran
1989 – A new talk – Illustrated by Nafiseh Shahdadi / Mehrabghalam, Tehran
1987 – Wind’s playmate – Illustrated by Nasrin Bonyadi / Amirkabir, Tehran
Young Adult Novels
2014 – Vladimir says / Fariba, Tehran
2013 – Si sa Siavash / Aamout, Tehran
2011 – The return of Hordad – Honored by parvin prize in 2012 / Kanoon, Tehran
2011 – Beautiful wizard and her 64-degree fever / Ofogh, Tehran
2001 – Salome and her rabbit / Soroush, Tehran
2000 – Bibigol and magic lamp / Hannaneh, Tehran
1998 – Ten meters country / Hannaneh, Tehran
1998 – Wizard island / Hannaneh, Tehran
1998 – The legend of the little boy / Peyk & Mossayeb
1998 – The cursed girl / Ashk, Tehran
1998 – The six thousand years old green man / Mehrabghalam, Tehran
1995 – The soccer boys / Zolal, Tehran
1994 – The girl of mirrors / Soroush, Tehran
1992 – Orak Planet Intelligent / Ghadiyani, Tehran
1991 – Today my chelcheleh / Kavir, Tehran
Story And Fable Collection For Teenagers
1990 – A Gift With Blue Flowers – Painter: Farideh Shahbazi / Tehran – Soroush Publications
1996 – Like Flower Girl / Tehran – Soureh Mehr Publication
2013 – Give Up God’s answer / Tehran – Shahr Publishing
Kids Novels (8 – 12)
2018 – Mrs.Hercules / Ofogh, Tehran
2018 – The cluttered city / Ghadiyani, Tehran
2018 – Noghli and his gang / Ghadiyani, Tehran
2018 – The carpenter of the city of monsters / Ghadiyani, Tehran
2010 – Me and cheese tree / Peydayesh, Tehran
2006 – Faster than being slow / Peydayesh, Tehran
2000 – The magic eyebrow of Kio Kio / Soroush, Tehran
Collection Stories (8 12)
2011 – Orange stories / Ghadiani, Tehran
2011 – The stories of a little boy / Amirkabir, Tehran
2009 – Before dinner stories / Ghadiyani, Tehran
2001 – My lucky sister / Hannaneh, Tehran
2000 – One-minute stories(volume1&2) / Hannaneh, Tehran
1993 – Horror stories / Rayhan, Tehran
Religious Novels And Tales For Children And Adolescents
1991 – Mother, Holy, Pigeon – Painter: Mostafa Nadarlou / Tehran – Besat Foundation Publications
1995 – The Secret of Debel / Tehran – Besat Foundation Publications (This book is published in Arabic and Spanish and Urdu)
1995 – The Smell of Rain – Painter: Kiumars Soltani / Tehran- Besat Foundation Publications Foundation (The Honored Diploma of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of children and youth)
1995 – Our House Was Paradise – Painter: Mohammad Hossein Lavasani / Tehran – Saberin Publication – seed
1996 – Greetings to stunning light – Painter: Mohammad Hossein Salavati / Tehran – Naba Publications
1997 – The Day Love Blossomed – Painter: Amir Nassaji / Tehran – Naba Publications
1997 – A Pear For Me A Pear For You – Painter: Kazem Talaei / Tehran – Naba Publications
1997 – The Tales of Idris And Noah – Painter: Mohammad Reza Lavasani / Tehran – Saberin Publication – seed
1998 – A Tree and Fourteen Fruits – Painter: Rafat Badri /Tehran – Mehrab Ghala, Publication
1999 – Two Angels of Two Brothers – Painter: Atieh Markazi / Tehran – Naba Publications
1999 – Month In House – Painter: Amir Nassaji / Tehran – Naba Publishing
2000 – Thats Three Duck – Tehran – Soroush Publications (Appreciation for the second Quranic festival)
2002 – The most beautiful – Painter: Mohammad Hossein Salavati / Qom, Bustan Ketab Publications
2002 – You Come From Paradise / Tehran – Soroush Publications (Selected fifth edition of the Book of the Year and the Second Appreciation Festival of Quranic Tales)
2002 – The Eighth Almond Blossom – Painter: Mohammad Hossein Salavati / Tehran – Naba Publications
2006 – Reza Reza / Tehran – Soroush Publications
2007 – Facing to Heaven / Tehran – Soroush Publications
2007 – An angel is here-painter: Atieh Markazi / Tehran – The Center for Intellectual development of children and teenagers
2007 – Talk About The Sky – Painter: Ali Hashemi Shahraki / Tehran – The Center for the intellectual development of children and young people
2009 – 4rd Sky / Tehran – Ghadiani Publishing – Banafsheh
2011 – (Solomon) – Painter: Rasool Mirdamadi / Tehran – Amir Kabir – Shokoufeh Publication –
2011 – Hood – Painter: Shahrzad Elahi / Tehran – Amir Kabir – Shokoufeh Publication –
2011 – Tales of Ashura – Painter: Seyed Zia ol Din Tabatabaee – Tehran, Ghadiani Publishing – Banafsheh (This book, which was published in the form of ten separate volumes, was honored at the 15th Book Festival of the Center for Religious books. Also this book is translated into Russian)
2006 – 2011 – Ba Ali Ya Ali – Painter: Alireza Goldozian and Nooshin Safakhou / Tehran – Beh Nashr Publications (Fourteen Cutaneous collection. Appreciation plaque of the third festival of Quranic Tales. Also, from the book of Imam Musa Kazem, was honored in the sixth book Course of Razavi)
2016 – Tales of Imam Zaman (A.S.) – Painter: Seyed Zidin Tabatabaei – Tehran, Ghadiani Publishing – Banafsheh (This tale has been printed in ten separate volumes as well)
2018 – Rain Wants Rain – Painter: Mitra Abdollahi / Tehran – Beh Nashr Publications
2018 – A Little Awake – Painter: Esmail Cheshrokh / Tehran – Beh Nashr Publications
2018 – The Secret of That Amazing Smell – Painter: Esmail Cheshrokh / Tehran – Beh Nashr Publications (Selected in the eleventh book period of the year)
2018 – Beside Him Only Has You Been / Tehran – Publishing the Office of the Publication of Islamic Culture
Educational Books – Fiction
1994 – First second and last (three volumes) – Illustrator: Adorned by Razaqi / Tehran – Horizon Publishing (Teaching basic math concepts for preschool)
1994 – The Secret of Frogs (Seven Scientific Tales) – Illustrator: Arasteh Razaghi / Tehran – Horizon Publishing
1996 – Music Steps – Illustrator: Nazanin Sheikhi / Tehran – Soroush Publications
2010 – My Craft Is A Good Fortune (Familiar with the philosophers of the world) – Illustrator Reza Maktabi / Tehran – Soroush Publications
2008 – Engine Rider Siahpush (Familiarity with driving tips and rules) – Ali Ezzeddin / Tehran – Shahr Publishing
2010 – Flamingos Island – Painter: Amir Shabani Pour / Tehran – Madreseh Publications – (This book is printed as a storytelling card)
2014 – Fesghel Motorized Tales – Illustrator: Hesam Sadeghi / Tehran – Soureh Mehr Publication
2015 – Here is Iran – Illustrator: Mahshid Daneshian / Tehran – Beh Nashr Publications
Rewriting and Recreating
1994 – Akhfash’s Goat (Proverbs series) / Tehran – Ketab Hamrah Publications
1996 – Gilgamash – Illustrator: Mohsen Hasanpoor / Tehran – Soroush Publications
1998 – The Legend of Garshasb – Illustrator: Mohsen Hasanpour / Tehran – Soroush Publications
1998 – The Moon Will Only Be In Heaven (Biography of Sheikh Shahabuddin Sohrevardi) – Illustrator: Fariba Aflatoun / Tehran – Publication of Islamic Culture Publishing Office
1999 – The Man Who Forgets His Name – Illustrator: Amir Nassaji / Tehran – Reyhan Publishing
2001 – A Little Savvy Rabbit (Tales from Aesop) – Illustrator: Vida Lashkari / Tehran – Hannaneh Publishing
2007 – The Myth of Inana – Illustrator: Pejman Rahimizadeh / Tehran – Soroush Publications
2007 – Elahi Nameh – Illustrator: Banafsheh Ahmadzadeh / Tehran – Peydayesh Publications
2010 – With Masnavi Behind Red Lights – Illustrator: Reza Maktabi / Tehran – Shahr Publishing
2011 – My God (my words with God) – Illustrator: Mahni Tahabi / Tehran – Madreseh Publishing
2012 – With Golestan Behind Red Lights – Illustrator: Meysam Mousavi / Tehran – Shahr Publishing
2018 – Marzban Nameh (Ten Volume Collection) – Illustrator: Farhad Jamshidi / Tehran – Ghadiani Publications
Translation
1995 – A Strange Discovery On An Unknown Planet (Translated by Namq Saba)/Tehran – Zolal Publishing
1997 – Gypsy and their Legends (Two volumes) – Illustrator: Nasser Azizi / Tehran – Khaneh Aftab Publishing
1999 – Wefi Smell Bad / Tehran – Hannaneh Publication
2000 – Hi Mouse Mouse (Translated by alias: Zanbagh Saba) – Tehran, Fariba Publication
2008 – Witch’s Wardrobe Lion (Volume first set Narnia) – Clive Staples Lewis / Tehran – Panjereh Publication
2011 – Round And Crispy Cookies / Tehran – Soroush Publications
Adult Novels
2017 – A men from Anadana / Aamout Publication
2013 – Amorous / Aamout Publication
2012 – My dear husband / Aamout Publication
2011 – Start a woman / Ghoghnoos Publication
2011 – The end a man / Markaz Publication
Awards
1987 – Special introduction of the Book of Playmate by the Children’s Book Council
1990 – The Book Year Award from The Ministry of Culture for The Book “The Whistle of The Ruler”.
1992 – Award and Special Prize from Soroush Teens Magazine Festival for The Novel” Orak Planet Intelligent”.
1993 – The Best Book of The Year Festival Award from Soreh Teens Magazine for The Novel “Orak planet intelligent”.
1995 – Golden Medallion from The Institute Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adult (Kanoon) For the Novel “Soccer boys”.
1996 – Honorary certificate from the Institute intellectual development of children and young adult (kanoon) for the picture book“ The Smell of Rain”.
1996 – Special award from Soroush teens magazine for the story collection of “Like flower’s girl”.
1996 – Elected female writer from Al-Zahra University for the collection of literary works for children and adolescents.
1997 – Received the Golden Moon Badge of the Grand Festival of Children and adolescent literature as the best writers, poets, translators and critics and children’s literature and adolescents in the two decades 60 and 70 which were held by the Association of Child and Adolescent writers.
1997 – Judge’s citation from Salam Bacheha children’s magazine Festival for retold “Gilgamesh”.
2003 – Judge’s citation from Popak children’s magazine for the novel “Salome and her rabbit”.
2003 – Appreciation letter from the best book of the year festival Velayat for the novel “You came from paradise”
2003 – Appreciation letter from Qoranic tales festival for the novel “You came from paradise”
2008 – Appreciation letter from the Cultural Association of Children’s Books Publications for retold the book “Ellahiname”
2009 – Appreciation letter from the Salam Bacheha children’s magazine Festival for the Picture Book “Mr. Watermelon”
2009 – Appreciation plaque for Book of Imam Musa Kazem in the sixth edition of Razavi Book of the Year
2010 – The Book Year Award from The Ministry of Culture for The Book “My God”.
2010 – Plaque of appreciation of the Third Festival of Quranic Tales for the book collection with Ali or Ali
2011 – Appreciation of the Book of Ashura Tales in the 15th year of the Intellectual Development Festival of children and teenagers
2012 – Appreciation and receive the Parvin Etesami Award for Group (Fariba Kalhor.) Sorour Katbi. Forouzandeh Khodajoo) for Orange Tales book
2012 – Honored by Parvin Prize for The Novel “The return of Hordad”.
2016 – Selected the first festival of compilation pictures of Shiraz University for What is Wrong With That?
2016 – Judge’s Citation from Shiraz University for The Picture Book “What’s Wrong?”
2016 – Appreciation letter from Shiraz University for the Collection book “The Travels Stories”
2018 – Selection and appreciation of the mystery book it smells surprisingly in the eleventh Book of the Year Razavi
2018 – Book Rain Want Rain, worthy of appreciation in the second lifestyle book festival of the year
2019 – Only you were with him, were honored at the 17th Roshd Book Festival
2019 – Only you were with him, selected as the third book of the year of Ashura
