The book authored by Mostafa Mastur will be rendered into Urdu based on a contract between the Mehr publishing company in Quetta and the Dayereye Mina (Blue Circle) Literary Agency in Tehran, the agency announced on Monday.
The translator of the book is Ahmad Shahriar, a Pakistani poet residing in Iran.
“Kiss the Lovely Face of God” is about Yunes Ferdows, a student of sociology who poses questions about man and his faith in God, creation, and the paradoxical relationship between wisdom and emotions.
The original version of “Kiss the Lovely Face of God” has so far been republished for over 90 times and about 250,000 copies have been sold.
The book has previously been translated into English, Italian, Russian, Indonesian, Arabic and several other languages.
In February 2012, Mastur voiced his objection to the title of Homayun Asadian’s drama “Kissing the Moon-Like Face” due to its similarity to the title of his novel “Kiss the Lovely Face of God” in its Persian expression.
“The media and readers of my works have asked me about the relation between the film and my novel ‘Kiss the Lovely Face of God’ that was published about ten years ago,” Mastur said.
“I deny any relation between the film and my novel and, in an optimistic view, naming the film as such is an abuse of my novel in order to draw people into the cinema,” he added.
“Due to the atmosphere [of chaos] dominating in the Iranian cultural field, particularly the Iranian cinema, it is not surprising, but it is shameful,” he stated.
Mastur said, “Such is the type of treatment our literature receives from the cinema. It is rooted in our improper cultural traditions, and is the result of the lack of cultural development and disregard for the rights of others.”
“Thus, these improper traditions cannot be improved by means of some specific articles, provisions, and bylaws,” he noted.
Source: Tehran Times