Ebrahim Nabavi Iran

Ebrahim Nabavi (Iran, 1958) Ebrahim Nabavi is a political satirist of exceptional talent. He uses comedy to write about serious social and political issues, and believes the satirist’s job is to show the true face of those who desperately try to portray a false image. With the policy of tolerance in Iran in 1997, Nabavi’s columns and articles began to emerge in reformist newspapers. He parodied official speeches and declarations with biting wit, turning their allegations and rationalisations upside down. The campaign targeting reformists forced his column to move from one paper to the next. At the 7th Press Festival in Iran, he received the award for the best writer of a satirical column but was arrested the following day and sentenced to 18 months in jail for writing satire. He has published 31 books and his Prison Memoirs is now in its 5th edition. Since his release in 2003, he has been living in exile where he continues to write, perform stand-up comedy and publish on the Internet to reach his audience. This Award honours Ebrahim Nabavi for his inspiring use of humour to challenge repression and create spaces for thought.

2005 Awards Book here.