Valiasr Street of Tehran (Non-fiction Narratives)

All signs of the modern city appeared in Tehran during the 1300s (20th century). Cinemas, theaters, music halls, hotels, cafes, restaurants, arcades, malls, parks, boulevards, and most importantly, the main and vital arteries: the streets. The significance of the grand and long Valiasr Street lies in the essential point that it invites the modern city dweller to create and reminisce memories along a path full of images, colors, scents, and sounds. This street, which is a century old and stretches nearly twenty kilometers, connects the southernmost square of Tehran to its northernmost one. The book “Valiasr Street of Tehran; Non-fiction Narratives,” edited by Kaveh Fouladis Nasab, showcases the personal experiences of the authors about daily life on a street that functions as a living document of Tehran’s history. However, these narratives are not merely documented histories told by historians; instead, through the power of the authors’ minds and language, they bring forth untold and suppressed stories for their readers. The book narrates a street full of memories deeply intertwined with love, friendship, politics, economy, and everyday life. It examines the bittersweet individual and collective lives of people who each remember different parts of this street more vividly, through various historical junctures and layers of their minds, who saw a mission in writing these narratives.