Maryam Diener, author of "Parallel Lives"

The improbable destinies of two Soviet female spies, connected by a modernist building in North London, is an intriguing premise for any spy novel, let alone one that introduces elements of architectural design in its story. But when those destinies reflect a larger literary opus and sources of inspiration, as they do for today’s guest, then the conversation expands significantly. My guest today is Maryam Diener, an Iranian-born author, publisher and poet, whose work has been translated into French, German and English. Her picks are absolutely stellar, and I’m happy to admit that I’ve actually gone out and bought a couple of them to add to my shelves since this interview took place. Our conversation today took place in person, in Maryam’s West-London home, which was a real treat. It’s always so enriching to speak with people in their ‘natural habitat’, as it were. Today’s chat was a very special one for me – stay tuned to find out why. Maryam Diener’s four books were: Green Mountain, White Cloud: A Novel of Love in the Ming Dynasty, François Cheng (2004) Another Birth (Tavallodi Digar), Forough Farrokhzad (1963) In praise of the shadows, Junichiro Tanizaki (1933, translated into English in 1977) Marie-Antoinette; The Portrait of an Average Woman, Stefan Zweig (1932) Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading!