Austrian journalist and author
Solmaz Khorsand, born and raised in Vienna as the daughter of two exiled Iranians, studied journalism at the University of Applied Sciences for Journalism and Media Management in Vienna and at Dublin City University. She then studied International Relations at Johns Hopkins University in Washington and Bologna. Professional stations at "Wiener Zeitung", "Die Zeit", "derStandard.at" as well as at the monthly magazine "Datum" and Swiss magazine "Republik".
Khorsand's work ranges from essays on Austrian domestic politics to reports from Belarus and election coverage from Iran, which she has been writing about since 2005. Her essay "Die iranische Verwandlung" (The Iranian Transformation), in which she recounts her stay in the country over several months, was one of the best stories of 2017 in Austria. She was awarded the 2018 Vienna Prize for Women Journalists for her work, among others. Her book "Pathos" (Kremayr & Scheriau) was published in 2021.
Monday, 08. April 2024, 19:00 – 20:00 h
At Literaturhaus Zurich, Limmatquai 62, 8001 Zürich
Moderation: Dr Martin Meyer
People can survive in three ways: they can adapt, resist or something in between. Solmaz Khorsand argues that we all act in an opportunistic way and go along for the ride out of convenience, fear or calculation, then blame it on the group, circumstances or a system. In her book, she points out where it hurts, holds up a mirror to us and offers a daring exit scenario to break out of the lemming existence.
Tuesday, 09. May 2023, 18:30 – 20:00 h
At the University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, 8006 Zurich, KOL-G-201 (Aula)
"Woman, Life, Freedom" – under this slogan, Iran's population has been protesting against the regime for almost eight months, demanding nothing less than the fall of the Islamic Republic. Why has the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, a young Kurdish woman, been the straw that broke the camel's back? What distinguishes the current wave of protests from the previous ones? And what can be learned from Iran's defiant women?