The event recording is now available:
The Alireza Ahmadian Lecture in Iranian and Persianate Studies presents: Exploring “Liku”: Baluchi Folk Poetry’s Brief Beauty on December 9, 2023. This lecture will be presented in Persian.
Liku is an ancient, monorhyme poetic form consisting of a single verse, prevalent in Southeast Iran (Baluchistan and the southern areas of the Kerman province). It is categorized into two types: the short Liku, with five syllables, and the long Liku, comprising ten syllables. The short Liku, possibly among the world’s briefest poetic forms, is unique in its brevity and structure. Each rhythmic and rhyming poem is composed of four words, with each line containing five syllables. The poems are crafted to allow individual interpretation by readers, enabling personal connections with the situations depicted. Liku typically adopts a pictorial, symbolic, and narrative style, often concluding with open-ended narratives. Themes in Liku poetry commonly explore love, youthful mortality, travel, exile, and nature’s allure. This poetic form evolves with time, integrating contemporary elements, themes, and social nuances, transitioning from traditional motifs to modern expressions.
Speaker
Mansour Alimoradi, born in 1976, in South Kerman, began writing stories and poems during his high school years. He garnered recognition in various independent poetry, humor, and storytelling festivals in Kerman Province. At 22, Alimoradi embarked on his professional journey with Roodbarzamin magazine, delving into humor, reporting, literary criticism, and folk culture. Concurrently, he initiated the compilation of an eighteen-volume encyclopedia on the folk culture and literature of Southeast Iran, with seven volumes currently published. Alimoradi’s focus on creative fiction has so far resulted in nine fiction works in adult and young adult novel genres. Many of these works have received prestigious Iranian literary awards, including the “Haft Eqlim” award, the “Fakherh-ye Saba” award (jointly with Maestro Ali Nasirian), and the “Bastani Parizi” award.
Registration required. Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_244_-J9DRnGnQtjAN1kEXQ
