Mariam Shirazi

'Somayyeh' was co-written by Mariam Shirazi and David Morisset. It is the story of a beautiful and determined young woman whose quest for love, freedom and happiness pits her against religion-based doctrines of male superiority and an uncompromisingly misogynistic culture. Born into a wealthy family in the Iranian city of Shiraz in 1972, Somayyeh grows to womanhood as revolution brings a fundamentalist Islamic regime to power and a futile war with neighbouring Iraq rages for eight bloody years. When her marriage is destroyed by her husband's reckless infidelity, Somayyeh struggles to come to grips with the harsh realities of divorce while remaining a devoted mother to her only child. But her divorce turns out to be a gateway to a new life. Somayyeh's tale not only inspires but it also provides precious insights into the position of women and the impact of Sharia law in today's Iran.
Mariam Shirazi is the pen name of an Iranian businesswoman who left her country to live in Australia in the early years of the twenty-first century
David Morisset is the pen name of an Australian writer who has previously published novels about Iran. A former diplomat, he has lived and worked in Tehran and also witnessed the uprisals which led to the overthrow of the last Shah. His poem, 'Persian Princess', was commended in the John Shaw Neilson Poetry Award (2009 Fellowship of Australian Writers National Literary Awards).