Book Launch / “Gham/Sorrow/Tristezza” by Golrokh Nafisi and Giuila Crispiani

The Book of Sorrow is, of course, a book in praise of the beauties of sorrow. A book that invites us to poetry and to the hidden layers of sadness, and different shades of blues. On the other hand, I think I am not the only one experiencing this situation. I believe that in the last two years, death has become a present matter in the minds of many of us, and we must create new spaces for poetry in grief, to link back an individual, isolated feeling to the collective lasting property.     – Golrokh Nafisi

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On Wed, Dec 15th at 6pm, join Massy Books, Massy Arts and Iran-based artist and writer Golrokh Nafisi for the in-person launch of her book “Gham/Sorrow/Tristezza” (2021, Oreri Publishing) in collaboration with Italian artist and writer Giuila Crispiani.

At the event, on the occasion of Nafisi’s visit to Vancouver, the author will present her new book to the audience – a collection of illustrations paired with texts in Farsi, Arabic, Italian, and English, on the theme of sorrow and how it’s expressed in different languages. Copies of the book – directly from Italy – will be available to purchase.

The book launch will be hosted in-person at the Massy Arts Gallery, at 23 East Pender Street in Chinatown, Vancouver. The event is free, and registration is mandatory.

In person events: Due to the latest recommendations from the BC Health Authority, all guests attending in-person events at Massy Arts require double-vaccination and must wear a mask.

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Click HERE to register

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The Book

Tristezza / Sorrow / غم” by Golrohk Nafisi and Giulia Crispiani is a reflection on sadness—its names, its shapes, its pains. Born of a long distance conversation between the authors and the experience of mourning, it explores the different meanings and affects of sorrow through poetry and drawing.

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The Authors

Golrokh Nafisi (b. 1981, Isfahan, Iran), is an Illustrator, animator, and puppet maker experimenting with performances in public space. Situated between Amsterdam and Tehran, Nafisi works through bodies and movements to imagine and shape new works of forms of collective action. Her aesthetic is strongly influenced by popular local handicrafts of the cities that she travels to and works in. Her illustrations are inspired by the political uprisings of the people in different geographies and are usually distributed among the demonstrators during the social-political movements.

Giulia Crispiani is a writer and visual artist based in Rome, where she collaborates with NERO Editions. She is the author of the books “Gham/Sorrow/Tristezza” (in collaboration with Golrokh Nafisi, Oreri 2021), “What if I Can’t Say Goodbye?” (Union Editions 2021), “Incontri in luoghi straordinari / Meeting at remarkable places” (Nero Editions 2020), “What if Every Farewell Would Be Followed by a Love Letter” (Union Editions 2020), “Petra” (ReRun books 2018).

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