Sadeq Chubak

Sadeq Chubak (born August 5, 1916, Būshehr, Iran—died July 3, 1998, Berkeley, California, U.S.) was an author of short fiction, drama, and novels, one of the leading 20th-century writers of Iran. Chubak’s short stories are characterized by their intricacy, economy of detail, and concentration upon a single theme, causing some to compare them to Persian miniature paintings.

Chubak grew up in Shīrāz, Iran, and graduated from the American College of Tehrān in 1937. His literary mentor was Sadeq Hedayat, a well-known Iranian author, and he was also influenced by the writings of American authors Henry James, William Faulkner, and Ernest Hemingway. Chubak developed a style of his own, however. Writing in the colloquial language, he captured moods successfully and told his tales with unmistakable realism.

Chubak’s best-known works include Khaymah-e shabāzī (1945; “Puppet Show”), a volume of short stories that is divided into 11 sections, each of which portrays an aspect of daily life; ʿAntarī keh lūṭiyash morda būd (1949; “The Monkey Whose Master Died”); the satirical play Tūp-e lāstīkī (1962; “The Rubber Ball”); and two novels, Tangsīr (1963) and Sang-e ṣabūr (1967; “The Patient Stone”). Chubak also translated a number of works from English into Persian, including Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.