Jina Khayyer's Debut Novel Explores Iranian Identity and Protest

Jina Khayyer, a German-born writer, poet, painter, and art journalist of Iranian descent who resides in France, has published her debut novel "Nel cuore del gatto" (In the Heart of the Cat). The book opens with a visceral scene set in Tehran during a protest, where voices shouting "Bisharaf!" (Shameless!) and "Infami!" (Infamous!) are heard via phone. The narrator, also named Jina, watches Instagram from her studio in Europe, encountering the Persian language from unknown mouths. The feed then shows the lifeless body of Jina Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman killed by Iran's morality police for improperly wearing the hijab. The narrator reflects: "The dead body bears my name." This intimate and historical beginning anchors the novel, which explores themes of exile, identity, and resistance.