Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
“Nothing short of miraculous.” That’s how The New York Times describes Kaveh Akbar’s first novel, Martyr! Akbar, an acclaimed poet based at the University of Iowa, will take us into the world of the novel’s protagonist, Cyrus Shams, a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past. Akbar will also share the challenges and opportunities that came with writing his first novel, as well as the community of writers around him—what he calls a “super-team Avengers squad of writers”—who have inspired and supported him throughout his career. Akbar will be joined by moderator John Green, author of the The Fault in Our Stars, who says of Martyr!: “So stunning, so wrenching, and so beautifully written that reading it for the first time, I kept forgetting to breathe.”
This program is presented in partnership with Northwestern University Buffett Institute for Global Affairs.
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Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org
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“Nothing short of miraculous.” That’s how The New York Times describes Kaveh Akbar’s first novel, Martyr! Akbar, an acclaimed poet based at the University of Iowa, will take us into the world of the novel’s protagonist, Cyrus Shams, a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past. Akbar will also share the challenges and opportunities that came with writing his first novel, as well as the community of writers around him—what he calls a “super-team Avengers squad of writers”—who have inspired and supported him throughout his career. Akbar will be joined by moderator John Green, author of the The Fault in Our Stars, who says of Martyr!: “So stunning, so wrenching, and so beautifully written that reading it for the first time, I kept forgetting to breathe.”
This program is presented in partnership with Northwestern University Buffett Institute for Global Affairs.
Donate now to support programs like this: chicagohumanities.org/donate
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org
Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities
Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities
Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanities
