‘From Tehran to Fredrikstad’: Celebrating Leila Ghahremani’s ICORN residency in Fredrikstad

The celebration titled ‘From Tehran to Fredrikstad’ took place at the local library with the aim to celebrate Leila Ghahremani’s achievements and contributions during her two years in Fredrikstad. The event also reached out to the city’s residents and informing them about the work of ICORN Cities of Refuge, with 55 guests attending.

Welcoming the guests with traditional Iranian tea and snacks, the programme included speeches, a poetry reading, a panel discussion and music accompaniment by Fariborz Jadidi, an Iranian artist playing the sitar.

The programme included a speech by Leila Ghahremani, telling the story of her work and life in Iran. Ghahremani started her literary career in 1996 and taught Management at the Eslamshahr Islamic Azad University. Focusing on the experiences of women in Iran, as well as themes of freedom and love, Ghahremani was targeted and arrested multiple times and barred from her university career. Together with her family, Leila arrived in Fredrikstad in 2022, becoming the city’s first ICORN resident. During her speech, she shared:

‘The next chapter of my life had started when I walked down the stairs of the plane. I was full of fear, anxiety, and fatigue. I still didn't know where I was. Everything was unclear to me. A new and different world. I thought about where it will end. I still did not believe that I was under another sky. I packed my whole life into eight suitcases and landed in a country I didn't know.

Sometimes I stand in front of the mirror, I look at the woman in the mirror, I put my hand on her shoulders and I say, you've come a long and hard way, I'm proud of you, that you're still standing, you're still laughing with all the problems and the sadness you have, every day you try to take a step forward I miss my country. But today I am very happy that I was lucky enough to be able to read poetry again and write and live in a free country.’

Eva-Britt Sørbøe Syversen, the ICORN coordinator in Fredrikstad, talked about the importance of protecting and promoting freedom of expression, the ways in which writers, artists, and journalists are targeted for their work, and the significance of being an ICORN City of Refuge.

A panel between Ghahremani, Jadidi, politician Marianne Klever Ness, and moderator Eva-Britt Sørbøe Syversen, discussed the current situation in Iran, hopes for the future, and life in Norway.

In 2024, Fredrikstad City of Refuge looks forward to welcoming another writer, artist, or journalist in its ICORN residency.

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