About me
I am from there. I am from here.
I am not there and I am not here.
I have two names, which meet and part,
and I have two languages.
I forget which of them I dream in.
– Mahmoud Darwish
Hello, salam! I am Mojdeh and I would like to welcome you to my little corner of the web. What follows is a little introduction of who I am, what I do and why I do it.
Salam everyone! Mojdeh is kind of an odd name you might think. Well, I was born in Iran and my name was picked right out of a poetry book. It wasn’t just a random poetry book, it is to this day one of the most important books Iranians own: the Hafez – written by Khwãja Shams-ud-Dîn Muhammad Hafez-e Shīrazī – which is considered the pinnacle of Persian literature. In Iran we turn to this book for advice and Hafez was thus also consulted for my name, which means ‘good news’ by the way. It was probably not a surprise that literature became my passion in life. Other than reading I love my little cat Donder (which means thunder), lots of tea and coffee and I dabble in bullet journaling. My other great passion in life is intersectional feminism. What do I read? A lot of (feminist) non-fiction, feminist science-fiction and I know my way around the classics. What you can expect from me on here is a critical view on books written by people in the margins and inclusive language use.
What do I do and why do I do it?
My blog sheds lights on books written by marginalized groups, whether it’d be based on ethnicity, gender or sexuality. I don’t merely want to display diverse books, but I also aim to be as inclusive as possible when it comes to the correct representation of people living in the margins.
I studied English literature and during my studies I read many beautiful books and poetry, yet I did not relate to most of what was offered. In search of a space where I could find myself represented, but in failing to find one, I started this blog.
I started out with the motto ‘voicing diversity’, but quickly came to the realization that ‘diversity’ is too often used as a hollow term, a way to seem diverse. I wanted to be truly inclusive, but it is also still a journey for me. Like many other people, I am lead by what I see get publicity. Finding books that are truly marginalized is a bit harder than I would like to admit. Not for a lack of trying, of course. However, books in the margins, is a way for me to give a spotlight to everyone but white, cisgendered heterosexual men. I don’t hate them, but they have enough representation.
So, this is for those who are looking to broaden their horizon and perspective. And most importantly, for those who did not see themselves represented in literature or required reading.
I hope you’ll enjoy my little corner of the internet. And I know I can’t do this all without the help you provide me with finding the books to read. Don’t be afraid to contact me, because I also enjoy putting guest blogs on here and I wish you would slide in my inbox.