Ahmad Samii Gilani

Born in Tehran, the son of a mujtahid, Samii graduated in literature and got a master's degree in linguistics at the University of Tehran.[1][2] A member of the Tudeh Party of Iran, he was imprisoned for two and a half years for his political activities.[1] He worked as a Dehkhoda Dictionary editor and collaborated with the Franklin Institute, the Institute for Cultural Studies and Research, and the Soroush publishing house.[1]

As an essayist, Samii is best known for the book Vīrāyeš va Negāreš (Persian: "ویرایش و نگارش", 'Editing and Writing').[1] Also a translator, his works include translations in Persian of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Gustave Flaubert, George Sand, Denis Diderot, Michel de Montaigne and Noam Chomsky's works.[1] He served as director of the contemporary literature department of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, also editing the magazine of the academy from 1998 to 2019.[1][2]

During his career, Samii received various awards and honours, notably the title of Commander of the Ordre des Palmes académiques.[1][2] He died on 22 March 2023, at the age of 102.[1][2]