Ali Alizadeh

I am a writer of fiction, poetry, non-fiction and literary criticism. I teach, research and supervise in contemporary creative writing, literary theory and literary studies.

Among my books are the collection of poetry, Ashes in the Air (UQP, 2011), shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Poetry; the work of creative non-fiction Iran: My Grandfather (Transit Lounge, 2010), shortlisted for a NSW Premier's Literary Award; and the novel The New Angel (Transit Lounge, 2008). My latest book is a work of fiction titled Transactions (UQP, 2013), long-listed for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.

Creative Writing

I am interested in both the theory and practice of creative writing. My work as a writer as well as a researcher and research supervisor includes poetry, fiction and literary non-fiction. I am particularly interested in new writing projects which cross formal and thematic boundaries, and aim at inventing provocative new ways of writing.

Radical Thinkers

My current creative and critical work draws on the philosophy of contemporary Marxist thinkers such as Alain Badiou, Slavoj }i~ek, Wendy Brown, Jacques Rancière and Chantal Mouffe, as well as earlier thinkers Karl Marx, Walter Benjamin, Theodor Adorno, Raymond Williams, Guy Debord and Michel Foucault.

Literature and Politics

I am interested in documenting and exploring literary works from all periods in history which oppose the discourses of the ruling classes. I like examining the ways in which radical writers treat themes such as power, war, gender, sexuality, race, culture and nature.

Contemporary Australian Poetry

I am interested in all kinds of poetry, but my particular research interest at this point is the work of contemporary Australian poets, especially those who are often seen as 'difficult' and 'inaccessible'. I am especially interested in the work of poets who are breaking with dominant literary models and aesthetic regimes.

Poetry in Translation

I am a widely published translator of poetry from Farsi to English, and am therefore interested in the theory and practice of literary translation. I am particularly interested in interrogating and critiquing commonly held assumptions about the purpose and extent of translation of early (mostly medieval) poetry for modern readers.