Kurdish writer Mansour Yaghouti dies

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mansour Yaghouti, the renowned Kurdish writer and critic from Iran’s Kermanshah province, has passed away after battling an illness, state media reported on Saturday.

“The passing of the esteemed Professor Mansour Yaghouti, a distinguished storyteller, poet, and critic, and one of the enduring figures of contemporary literature in the country and Kermanshah province, has caused deep sorrow and grief,” said Manuchehr Habibi, Kermanshah governor, IRNA reported.

Yaghouti was born on December 26, 1948, in Kiveh Nan village of Kermanshah’s Sonqor county. 

He was well-known for his concise, powerful sentences, combined with his unique style rooted in realism, which earned him the title of Iran’s Anton Chekhov.

His nickname was Gol Bakhi, meaning Garden Flower.

The Song of the Mountain, Stories of Deer Valley, Tales of Zagros, and Yarsan Ritual in the Myths of the Kurdish People are among his most renowned works.

Yaghouti had been battling cancer for a long time. In August, his wife said they were finding it difficult to access the medication he needed because of “scarcity.” Iran’s artist community demanded he receive better care.