Meysam Amiri’s Dagh Delroba has reached a fifth print run after striking a chord with readers across Iran. The book offers a documentary-style account of the days that followed the killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad airport on 3 January 2020 and captures the public response that unfolded nationwide.
Dagh Delroba captures Iran’s days of mourning
Amiri travelled to multiple cities to attend funerals and public gatherings, recording scenes and conversations as millions took part in mourning ceremonies. His reporting combines eyewitness detail with a clear narrative voice, aiming to preserve the emotional and social texture of those days rather than offer a partisan analysis.
The book is structured around the ceremonies and the spontaneous rituals of grief that appeared in towns and provincial centres as well as Tehran. Amiri does not confine his account to the funerals alone. He documents the media reaction both inside Iran and overseas, and addresses consequential events that shaped public feeling, including the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane and the ensuing national debate.
Readers will find descriptions of processions, crowd dynamics, and the ways families and communities expressed loss. Amiri’s prose is direct: he records what he witnessed and speaks with participants, local organisers and observers to build a composite picture of a society in public mourning. The narrative balances sombre moments with instances of solidarity and communal resolve.
The literary community has acknowledged the book’s importance. Dagh Delroba was recognised at the 14th Jalal Literary Award and included in selections for the Book of the Year of the Islamic Republic. Such recognition helped spur further interest and sold copies, prompting the latest print run from Khat-e Moghaddam Publishing.
Although the work centres on grief, it also registers how ordinary citizens responded to international coverage and political commentary. Amiri traces how domestic and foreign media framed the events and how those frames contrasted with the lived experience of people who joined processions and memorials.
For scholars and general readers interested in contemporary Iranian society, the book offers an accessible account that combines reportage and reflection. It does not aim to settle political arguments about the incident; rather, it records public sentiment and the ways collective memory was assembled in public spaces.
The fifth print run indicates sustained demand for first-hand accounts of a defining moment in recent Iranian history. Dagh Delroba is available through Khat-e Moghaddam Publishing and has become part of an expanding corpus of eyewitness literature that seeks to document the social impact of major political events.
Image: Book cover and events photograph
Key Takeaways:
- Dagh Delroba documents the days after Qasem Soleimani’s death through on-the-ground reporting by Meysam Amiri.
- The book was recognised at the 14th Jalal Literary Award and the Book of the Year of the Islamic Republic.
- Amiri’s reporting spans funeral processions across Iranian cities and touches on related events such as the Ukrainian plane tragedy.
- The title has reached its fifth print and is published by Khat-e Moghaddam Publishing.
