Payam Feili

Biography

Payam Feili was born in 1985 in Kermanshah in Iran. He began to write in his early teen years. Feili published his first book – The Sun's Platform in 2005 at age of nineteen. The book was censored by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. After that, Payam Feili's works have been banned from publication in Iran. His first novel – Tower and Pond as well as a collection of short essays Crimson Emptiness and Talking Waters were published by Lulu in the United States. The book was published in Persian. His second book – I Will Grow, I Will Bear Fruit . . . Figs was published in Germany by Gardoon Publishers. Other works including the novel Son of the Cloudy Years and a collection of poems Hasanak were published outside Iran. He is blacklisted in Iran not only because of his works, but also because he is openly gay. He lives in exile in Turkey.

At the end of 2015, Feili visited Israel as a guest of the Israeli Ministry of Culture. The visit was organized with help of culture and sport minister Miri Regev and interior minister Silvan Shalom, who issued a special permit, due to travel restrictions on the entry of Iranian citizens.

In 2016, Feili applied for asylum in Israel, which he described as an “interesting, beautiful and amazing” place. He says Israel is "not just another country. For me it’s like a fairytale place.” In March 2016, Feili's visa have been extended to allow him to stay while asylum request is being proceeded.

Awards and recognition