Reza Aslan, Javaad Alipoor

Reza Aslan: An American Martyr in Persia

Description

Prepare to be wowed by New York Times bestselling author, Reza Aslan, and his astonishing story of the little-known American missionary hailed as a hero in Iran.

Aslan will discuss his incredible new biography, An American Martyr in Persia, which charts the story of Howard Baskerville, a 22-two-year-old Christian missionary from South Dakota who travelled to Persia (modern-day Iran) in 1907. Baskerville was there for a two-year stint teaching English and preaching the gospel but became embroiled in a democratic revolution.

In 1909, he was killed in battle alongside his students, but his martyrdom spurred on the revolutionaries who succeeded in removing the shah from power, signing a new constitution, and rebuilding parliament in Tehran. To this day, Baskerville’s tomb in the city of Tabriz remains a place of pilgrimage. Join Aslan, an internationally acclaimed writer, producer, and religious scholar, as he proves that one person’s actions can have revolutionary consequences that reverberate the world over.

Related Book

An American Martyr in Persia

Reza Aslan

About the Author

Reza Aslan

Reza Aslan is an internationally acclaimed writer, producer and scholar of religions. A recipient of the prestigious James Joyce Award, Aslan is the author of three internationally bestselling books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. Aslan’s latest book, An American Martyr in Persia: The Epic Life and Tragic Death of Howard Baskerville, was longlisted for the 2023 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography.

About the Chair

javaad

Javaad Alipoor

Javaad Alipoor is a British-Iranian writer, director, and performer who founded The Javaad Alipoor Company in 2019. His latest work, Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World, received five-star reviews and sold-out audiences at Battersea Arts Centre and HOME, Manchester, before touring internationally.

Alipoor’s previous work includes writing, co-directing, and performing in The Believers Are But Brothers. He also co-created Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran, which won a Fringe First Award and later transformed into a digital experience during the COVID-19 lockdown, touring to Sundance Film Festival and The Public Theatre’s Under the Radar Festival.

Alipoor has held directing positions at Sheffield Theatres and Bradford’s Theatre in the Mill. Additionally, he is an activist and political writer, co-founding several organizations and contributing to major publications.