Today we’d like to introduce you to Elham Aligordi.
Hi Elham, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Everything began with dreams. In my childhood world, I was often preoccupied with my imagination rather than focusing on my teachers and their lessons in class. I would explore places that were seemingly hidden from my teachers’ view but nonetheless felt genuine and pleasurable to me. I was enamored with literature, and stories would transport me to places that gave me a sense of identity. I would adorn myself like the characters from the stories I read, and with some stories, I would engage in self-reflection. This process of dreaming and using my imagination led to a sense of excitement, which eventually became expressed in the form of poetry.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Intentionally or unintentionally, men in literature provide themselves with credibility and vitality by isolating women’s poetry. This is particularly evident in a country like Iran, which still maintains a patriarchal and male-dominated structure. To establish oneself and one’s poetry, it is necessary to navigate through the condescending attitudes of those who often belong to the intellectual class of society. However, it must also be kept in mind that today’s global society has become increasingly alienated from poetry and literature, and the foundations of poetry no longer have a firm and fanatical foothold among the general public.
Prominent publications and magazines within Iran tend to prefer works written by men. As a female poet, it is a significantly challenging and difficult task to prove oneself in a world that no longer values madness and wordplay. To achieve this goal, one must possess both luck and connections and have access to capital.
In today’s society, there is a declining interest in showcasing genuine talent.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I try to revive ordinary things and events. Writing happens in darkness, the horizon is not clear to you from the beginning, because you do not know which way you are going, the path is ambiguous from the beginning, it is within the path that you decide what to create and sometimes it creates an event for you. I am known for writing social poetry with a post-modern style, and my pride is that I have never promoted my poetry to a specific ideology.
The language of my poetry is my life experience without following the fashion of the day, striving to overcome cliché structures. Striving to celebrate authenticity and steadfastness, which is life itself.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
It’s still hard for me to write poetry after all these years. Poetry is like fire, it needs care, and it’s not possible to keep the flame burning with just anything. Also, not every piece of wood is suitable for its longevity. Light needs darkness and observation, fire is more beautiful and brighter in darkness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTFppMbpTAO/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/elhamgordi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1338570627&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gordielham?s=21&t=aM2kBuLyrjO9rxSEGrw7vQ
