Group Reading, A Different Experience

It is often difficult for an artist or writer to let others critically review their works. 

At least in Iranian society, it is not common for the audience and readers of a work to criticize it in public or share how they experienced it. Almost all writers and artists prefer the audience to just read or see their works. Unfortunately, it is usually believed that only critics and experts should comment on a work of art or piece of literature and guide the author or artist.

However, four years ago, Nasser Yousefi began a different experience. He shares his stories with his main audience and asks children, teens, teachers, and families to share their ideas and experiences with him.

With the advent of social pages, including Telegram, Yousefi launched a public group on Telegram. He asked readers of his book, محله شکر خانوم (Shekar Khanoom’s Neighborhood), to critically review and share their experiences in this group. After some time, hundreds of people joined the group who had read the book or were reading it. Reviews, criticism, and even suggestions regarding this story began. Participants expressed their views clearly and shared their ideas with the author. Naturally, some of these opinions were harsh. Some likened the story to a painless, optimistic atmosphere and criticized the author's mentality—that Yousefi portrays an ideal world as usual. At the same time, many groups shared their experiences of how this collection of stories had helped them feel better and how well the peaceful atmosphere of collective life had been illustrated in these stories.

The group was so well received by its members that they suggested reading the book again as a group. With the help of Yousefi, this group reading took shape.

Every week, he introduced a story from the book and then asked participants to do activities related to the topic or share their own experiences in areas like:

• Caring for children with disabilities in the neighborhood
• Supporting trees that are in danger of being cut down
• Caring for animals in the city
• Paying attention to the elderly
• Paying attention to pregnant mothers
• Paying attention to immigrants
• Paying attention to bilingual people

Each of these concepts is found in one of Shekar Khanoom’s stories. That is, each story forms activities in the community. Care for the elderly becomes Grandmothers and Grandfathers Month, and various groups across the country work to protect the elderly. For example:

• In Bandar Abbas, a group of young people go to the homes of the elderly and paint their homes.
• In Babol, people have a party for the elderly, inviting children and teens.
• In a village in northern Iran, the elderly are invited to read poetry for children and teens and tell them about their memories.
• In many Iranian cities, nursing homes open their doors to the public, especially to children and teens.

In other words, each story of Shekar Khanoom turns into a diverse community project at the local level. It also makes more people interested in reading the story of Shekar Khanoom’s Neighborhood. These days, the name Shekar Khanoom has become a term to introduce kindness, love, and attention to others.

This experience lasts nearly a year, and hundreds of social activities take place around the country. In the second year, Yousefi’s readers propose reading آسمان ارغوانی بود (The Sky Was Purple), a love story depicting a special image of genuine love. Asher is a Jewish itinerant mercer who falls in love with Nargol (a Muslim girl) in one of the villages. Asher has always been threatened and humiliated harshly and does not dare to express his love for Nargol. Nargol, who is a beautiful village girl, also falls in love with Asher and tries to show her love to him, but Asher does not realize this love. There is another young man, Emad, in the village who has loved Nargol since his childhood and sees the itinerant mercer as a nuisance. He has noticed Nargol's love for Asher and tries to drive Asher out of the village to secure his love.

Members of the group read this book. Unlike Shekar Khanoom, The Sky Was Purple became an individual movement for self-awareness. The members read the book and commented on Asher, Nargol, and Emad, or the story as a whole. Many of them were excited to read a story about the life of a Jew for the first time. However, this group reading made members compare their lives to those of these three characters. In other words, the story became an opportunity for personal reflection. Many members wrote that at some points in their lives, they were like Asher, hiding themselves; sometimes like Emad, fascinated by someone; and sometimes like Nargol, waiting for someone to express their love.

The third experience of the group starts with another book, و باز هم سفر (A Journey Again). Through group reading of this book on social media, the number of members exceeds 2,000. All participants, especially teenagers, are eager to read the book with other members and share their experiences.

The book A Journey Again and the Telegram group provide another opportunity as well. A number of teachers and NGOs working with teens read the book with groups of teens. Many librarians also read the book with teenagers at school. Very soon, the book becomes one of Iranian teenagers’ favorite books and is published five times in three years—something that seldom happens with Iranian teen books.

Yousefi’s next experience in group reading is طعم سیب زرد (Taste of Yellow Apples). This time, Yousefi's readers face a completely realistic story. The story is about Sina, a high school boy who secretly befriends his Afghan immigrant classmates. To avoid being judged by other classmates, he hides this friendship. Along the way, Sina encounters other hidden aspects of his life and realizes how much he has concealed about himself and his family. This story encourages adolescents to face their fears instead of hiding them.

In this activity, readers of the book also try to identify and confront hidden aspects of their own lives. Generally speaking, the experience of group reading, reviewing, and expressing collective experiences by mainstream readers is a difficult but worthwhile task. It seems that Yousefi is not afraid to face harsh judgment or criticism. However, this has helped him connect more closely with his readers and gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives.

The opportunity for group reading on social media is a fresh experience in the field of children’s and teen literature. Over the past four years, no other writer seems to have dared to allow their works to be criticized and analyzed so directly by mainstream readers.

While this experience may not seem easy, it has encouraged various groups of teens, teachers, and instructors to read and comment on Yousefi’s works. Sharing stories on social networks can serve as a valuable model for other writers seeking to engage with their audiences.

Note: All of the books presented in this article are published works written by Nasser Yousefi.