Iranian author Mahmud Dowlatabadi, mostly famous for his novel “Kalidar”, received the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor during a ceremony held in Tehran on Sunday evening. The medal, which is the highest decoration awarded by the French government, was presented to the author by French Ambassador Bruno Foucher during a ceremony at his residence in Tehran.
The ambassador gave a brief speech about the life and works of Dowlatabadi. He also praised his artistic career in theater and storytelling.
Wearing the medal, Dowlatabadi talked about French literature and civilization in his short speech, and pointed to the issues of writing and the pains of writing.
Iranian author Mahmud Dowlatabadi (R) stands beside French Ambassador Bruno Foucher before receiving the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor at the ambassador’s residence in Tehran on November 16, 2014.
A number of scholars and literati including Dariush Shayegan, Kambiz Dermabakhsh, Omid Rohani, Lili Golestan, Javad Mojabi and Hassan Kianian attended the ceremony.
Born in 1940, short-story writer and novelist Dowlatabadi was the most prominent Iranian novelist of the 1980s. Self-educated and forced to work from childhood, he spent part of his younger adult years as a stage actor in Tehran.
“The Colonel”, “Kalidar”, “Desert Strata”, “The Trip”, “The Legend of Baba Sobhan”, “The Cowherd”, “Aqil”, “Man” and “Missing Soluch” are among Dowlatabadi’s credits.
The other Iran 