By: Karl Salkowski

Who is Marjane Satrapi and what is the influence of the book ‘Persepolis’.

Marjane Satrapi was born on November 22nd, 1969, in Rasht, Iran. She grew up in the city of Tehran in an upper middle class family. In addition, her parents were both active leftists against the Shah monarchy. In 1983, at age 14, she fled Iran, moving in with a family friend in Vienna, Austria. She stayed in Vienna for the rest of her schooling, attending the Lycée Français de Vienne. After being evicted from the convent she was forced to move into, she became homeless and lived on the streets of Austria for 3 years. Satrapi decided to return home to Iran due to loneliness, deep depression, and a feeling like she did not belong in Europe.

When Satrapi was 30 years old, in the year 2000, she published an autobiographical memoir about her life, entitled ‘Persepolis’. The novel begins and follows a ten-year-old Marjane Satrapi navigating life following the Iranian revolution. ‘Persepolis’ is critically acclaimed, having been translated into over 24 languages, and selling over two million copies. The book was originally published in French, in France, but was later translated to English in 2003. 

‘Persepolis’ challenges Western views of Iranian people and the revolution, telling a coming of age story from the perspective of someone experiencing the revolution firsthand. The book was hated by the Iranian government, who viewed it as propaganda, supporting modern leftist movements. Still to this day, Marjane Satrapi is unable to return to Iran almost 30 years after ‘Persepolis’s’ publication. 

Just a few years after the book’s widespread success, in 2007, Marjane Satrapi directed and oversaw ‘Perepolis’s’ film adaptation. The film would later go on to share the Jury Prize with a Mexican film titled ‘Silent Light’ at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. However, the Iranian government would see this award as “an unconventional and unsuitable act,” and the government would later have the film dropped from the Bangkok International Film Festival, a major cinematic event that showcased over 200 films from over 40 different countries. 

I personally really enjoyed the book ‘Persepolis’, and I would highly recommend it. It is one of the most engaging graphic novels I have ever read with some of the most interesting artwork and structure. I could not put the book down, and it is one of my favorite books I have read so far in 2026. I would give this book a 9/10, and I believe everyone should read it at least once.