Mehdi Azar Yazdi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mehdi Azar-Yazdi
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| Native name |
مهدی آذریزدی
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| Born | March 18, 1922 Yazd, Iran |
| Died | July 9, 2009 (aged 87) Tehran, Iran |
| Resting place | Yazd |
| Occupation | Writer, poet, photographer |
| Language | Persian |
| Nationality | Iranian |
| Education | None |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Years active | 1956–? |
| Notable works | Good Stories for Good Children |
| Spouse | None |
| Children | Mohammad Saburi (adopted) |
Mehdi Azar-Yazdi (Persian: مهدی آذر یزدی) was a famous Iranian writer. He was born on March 18, 1922, and passed away on July 9, 2009. He is best known for writing wonderful stories for children. He took old, classic Persian tales and rewrote them in a way that was easy and fun for young readers to understand. His most famous book series is called Good Stories for Good Children. He started his writing career in 1956.
Contents
His Wonderful Books
Azar-Yazdi's most famous work is Good Stories for Good Children (قصههای خوب برای بچههای خوب). This amazing series has eight volumes. Each volume is based on different classic Persian stories. Some of these old stories come from famous books like Kalila wa Dimna, Gulistan, and Masnavi-e Ma'navi. He also included stories from the Quran and the life of Muhammad.
This book series was so good that it won a special award from UNESCO in 1966. Good Stories for Good Children has been translated into many languages, including Spanish, Armenian, Chinese, and Russian. Azar-Yazdi had plans to write even more books for this series.
Besides his most famous series, he also wrote other popular books for children. These include The Naughty Cat, The Playful Cat, Simple Stories, Poetry of Sugar and Honey, and Masnavi of Good Children. Another one of his books, called Adam, was chosen as the best book of the year in 1968.
About His Life
Mehdi Azar-Yazdi was born in 1921 in the city of Yazd, Iran. He learned to read and write from his father. Later, he continued to study and learn on his own. As a teenager, he spent a lot of time reading books. He read important texts like the Quran, Masnavi, and the works of famous poets like Saadi Shirazi and Hafez.
In 1944, he moved from his hometown to Tehran. Azar-Yazdi worked many different jobs. He was a construction worker, a laborer in sock-making shops, and he also worked in publishing houses and bookstores. He worked for well-known publishers like Amir Kabir.
Azar-Yazdi never married. He lived a simple life and was very careful with his money. He once said that he always tried to save and had a difficult time financially. He believed that he had always served others and worked hard.
He passed away in 2009 in Tehran after being ill. His body was buried in his hometown of Yazd. To honor his great contributions to children's books, the day he died is now known as the National Day of Children's Literature in Iran.
His Adopted Son
Mehdi Azar-Yazdi had an adopted son named Mohammad Saburi. They met in 1949 when Mohammad was just eight years old. Mohammad was looking for a job at a photography shop where Azar-Yazdi used to work. When Mohammad was rejected, Azar-Yazdi saw him crying. On a friend's advice, he decided to adopt Mohammad.
His Thoughts on Writing
Azar-Yazdi once shared how important encouragement is. He said that he didn't have anyone encouraging him when he was young. His parents even made fun of him for writing stories for children.
He also explained how he started writing Good Stories for Good Children. He said that when he was 35 years old, he began reading a very old and difficult book called Kalilah and Dimnah. He found it beautiful and decided he wanted to write for children. He wasn't looking for fame or money. He just wanted to do a good job and create something special for young readers.
Azar Yazdi Award
There is an award named after Mehdi Azar-Yazdi to honor his legacy in children's literature.
