International Booker Longlist 2026 | Caly Recommends...Women Without Men - Shahrnush Parsipur, translated by Faridoun Farrokh

Caly says...Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur is a darkly funny masterpiece following five women as they try to find peace outside of the ruinous violence of their homes. This was truly beautiful and powerful, full of myth, courage and history - as she imagines a future of a world without men you can easily understand why it’s an underground bestseller, despite being banned in Iran.

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Women Without Men traces the interwoven destinies of five women – including a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a sex worker and a schoolteacher – as they arrive by different paths to live together in an abundant garden on the outskirts of Tehran. Drawing on elements of Islamic mysticism and recent Iranian history, this unforgettable novel depicts women escaping the narrow confines of family and society, and imagines their future living in a world without men.