Journey to Heading 270 Degrees

Journey to Heading 270 Degrees

Journey to Heading 270 Degrees is an Iranian novel by Ahmad Dehqan in Iran-Iraq War category. The book focuses on experiences of Nasser, who was high school student but participated in several operation in the war. Before writing the Journey to Heading 270 Degrees, Dehqan read 300 well-known novels. In Iran, over fifteen thousand copies of the book have been published. In popular media mentioned the novel as successful story in Iran-Iraq war field and get many awards. In 1996, the book received Best Novel on the War Award. In 2006, the book was translated from Persian into English by Paul Sprachman, a professor at Rutgers University, and published by Mazda Publishers. The novel exist in Library of Congress and many university libraries as University of California, Harvard University, Rutgers University, Maryland, Vermont, Berkeley, Georgetown University, and Princeton University. The book is textbook in Introduction to the Literature of the Modern Middle East in Rutgers University.

Publisher

First edition of the book in Persian was published by Sarir Publication Company in 1996. Soreie Mehr Publication Company published second edition in 2005. The book was wrote and published before another important novels about the Iran-Iraq war in Iran. For this reason, the book was translated from Persian into English by Paul Sprachman in 2006. English edition of the book published by Mazda Publishers.

Narrative

First personage of the Journey to Heading 270 Degrees is Nasser, an Iranian teenage student. During his school days, he had mental disturbance for participating in the war. For this reason, he left school’s exams and went battlefield with his friend, Ali. In one of operations, Nasser was wounded and taken him to the hospital. When Nasser improved, his friend, Rasoul, was sent message to him and said that a new operation will happen. Therefore, He came back and participated in operations. Participating in operation was his dream that occurred several times. During operations, he saw that their friends were wounded and killed. After the operations, Nasser came back to school and continued his studying. Realism is major feature of the novel. Author depicted injured and killed soldiers and also showed behavior of other soldiers with this matter. The book is equitably novel in narrating scene of fighting about the war.

Author

Ahmad Dehqan was born in Karaj Provience on 1966. He was an expert soldier in the Iran-Iraq war. He studied Electrical Engineering and graduated in 2007. Then, he studied another field and got his Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences. In Master of Science degree, Dehqan studied in Anthropology, his favorite field. He work as literary expert in Office of Literature and Art of Resistance and the Center for Literary Creations of Howzeh Honari. He wrote several story collections and novels including: Untold about The Iran-Iraq War, A Division with four Persons, Liberation of Khorramshahr, The Stars of Shalamcheh, The Last Days, The Mission Complete, I am Murderer of your son, Invasion, and Dashtban. Many books of Dehghan have been published by Soreie Mehr Publication Company. Also, His stories was translated into another languages.

Awards

After first publish, Journey to Heading 270 Degrees has been received numerous awards as 20 Years Literature Story Award, 20 Years Literature Resistance Award, and first rank in the 4th Sacred Defense Book of the year awards. Also, the book has been reprinted many times because has popularity in Iran.

See also

• Chess with the Doomsday Machine

• One Woman's War: Da (Mother)

• Eternal Fragrance

• Noureddin, Son of Iran

• That Which That Orphan Saw

• The Night Bus

• "Fortune Told in Blood"

• "Borunsi"