Your Happy Hour - The Stack Series ~ "Glimpse of Iran," ft. Mazdak Z

Episode Date: July 26, 2026

Welcome to The Stack Series! ✨The Stack Series features new books and emerging authors sharing their stories, inspirations, and journeys with us. In this special episode, we celebrate the launch of a new book - A Glimpse of Iran' - into the world written by author Mazdak Z who shares his inspiring journey from Iran to Europe and how he offers an authentic look into Iranian culture, history, and personal stories reminding us of the importance of understanding cultural nuances, and the personal transformation that comes with sharing one's truth.Check out Mazdak Z’s book here.🎧 Stay tuned for stories that inspire, uplift, and spark your abundant life!The Stack Series is produced by swartkat.co - captured via riverside.fm & shared via rss.com.

A big welcome back to another Fields session with the Feels on the Fields podcast, and we are now doing a mini series called The Stack Series. We did these wonderful little segments in our Your Happy Hour series that are about book recommendations. And now we have a full series called the Stack Series where we discover new authors, we celebrate new books. And today I have the immense privilege to chat to an author who's all the way from Iran. and has an incredible story, and I'm really so happy to share in this today, Mazdak, with you.

A big welcome to the field space and to the Stack series, and it's just so wonderful to have you share about your journey. Hello, I'm happy to be here with you, and I'm so excited to talk to you about my book, and I hope it will be useful for the readers. Absolutely. And for those who are listening and tuning in, the book is called A Glims of Iran. And it's a bit of like memory and culture and quiet poetry of everyday life. I love that sentence. The quiet poetry of everyday life woven together. And I know, Mazdaq, you're going to tell us a little bit more about this, but it's really a bit of a memoir for you. It's been kind of your life story and I know you waited a really long time to tell this story.

So I'd love for you to just tell us a little bit about the journey to writing this book. Like what inspired you to actually sit down and write it? Actually, the book is the history of my family and myself. The story is very, I think I always wanted to share it with the world. Because as I came from Iran to Europe and I talked to the people, I saw that the people have a cliché of what happened in Iran in the past. And it was, they knew, they copied what they saw in the media. They didn't know. And it was in the reality, it was much more than that.

It was beyond that what media was ready to share with the world. And I always wanted to share the reality what really happened with the people, with the world. And at the beginning, I hesitated to do that because I'm really not a writer. It is my first book. And I should find the courage to do that. And I found that at the end that is a responsibility. to share that with the people. So with this responsibility,

I found the courage and I wrote this book and I'm happy I could finish it and I could share it with the people. We're so happy that you've written that you found the courage to share your story and I know that when I was kind of reading

through what was sent to me from your publishers, you had in your press kit a line which said it's kind of Iran is like this country that feels very far away for people, you know, and I'm curious about that. Like, why is that the case? Why is it that we feel so disconnected from Iran? And it makes your book so important because it's so true that we don't really know much about the culture.

We don't really understand the people. And it's kind of grouped into, I think, a whole region in the world, which is not the case necessarily. So, yeah. In the fact, absolutely. The people see what they made their share with them. And then people think that Iran, Iraq, Muslims, all these countries are the same for the people in the West or all the same people. They don't know any reality. They think that the people do. They live differently, completely differently from the people in the West. But it's not a reality. is that Iran has been moved from in the past for 100 years. It was stuck in the medieval situation, in the corruption,

and in there was a country with many, many problems. But the dynasty of Pahlavi started over 100 years, brought us, pushed Iran, took it from this situation, and pushed them into modernity. And during that, they built the infrastructures, build the institutions, the universities, they gave many, many rights to the women, which in the past it was unimaginable. And in some areas, the rights that they gave to women was at that time even more advanced compared to Europe. For example, the right to do the same elections

for women has been given in Europe in 1964 by Shah to the women. In Switzerland, it was in 1971. It was about seven years later, the women got the right to take part in the elections. So the family like mine, okay, is something different to my family, when my family was politically charged. It is not in all families was the same. In my family, like all other family, people lived in the West. We had in my childhood and in my younger time, we went to the movies, we went to the discothez.

We went, we had the, my brothers, wives, they walked outside. the typical family in the West. People don't see that. They think that Iran, Iraq, all the women are waved, or they have only bazaars, and so they don't have industry, they don't have freedom, nothing is free there.

But it's not a reality. So I wanted to share that, said that the vision that you have from each country is different. Iran is not Iraq. Iran is not Egypt or something. So I want to share that what was the reality, but the problem was that now Iran is set back to the medieval situation. Again, by the new regime.

So I wanted also share with the people in the world how it happened. What was the reasons that all that happened? So I try to share that in my book. So if people want really to know what has happened, I think they shouldn't read my book. Because I don't see that in the media or anywhere, I don't see really deep reflection about what is happening. Yeah, and I love that you've mentioned, like, the word deep reflection.

I think it's very flitting, sensationalist news that's in the media, and it's kind of exploding these situations that might not even exist. I mean, who knows with AI these days what's real or not. But I've stopped listening to the media or reading anything for a few years now. And it's very enlightening when you actually sit with just people, like you say, having a story in this moment that we can share. And I know your book is really about that. Like, what is the power of storytelling and of human-centered storytelling

and of just finding your personal truth, not necessarily what everyone is talking about out there. So I love that. I love that you've kind of delved into these themes of identity and belonging and personal truth. And I'm sure you've also kind of found your own personal truth in that, you know, as you wrote the book. Exactly. So I try to be honest, really, to be honest and not to, I think that honesty, it is important that the people can trust on you and what you are telling. So it is very, to me, also is very important that is telling my story is to help the next generation. The next generation, we made a lot of mistakes.

As personally myself, I was young. I was 18 during the Islamic Revolution. And we didn't know anything about that, what could bring that. So people, most of people in Iran, that Islam could bring them justice, a justice because they has been told from their childhood that in Islam you find justice, that's the Islam with you will share the, the, the, the, what is, what is, the, the, the, what is, the, the, the, the, what is the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, socialists or religious socialists that every people, you share everything,

people are equal. So it has been told with people and people believe. So it is very important of why it has happened. It is important to see in the reality that why you cannot trust to everything you hear to make distance from absolutes. And it was unfortunately the reason that is in a country that there hasn't been democracy. Most of the people have absolutes. And when you believe on that, that you cannot criticize that or you don't compare it with anything else. And then you don't get information in the country like Iran in the time of shock,

you didn't get all information, so you couldn't compare on that. And it was, it is very important that, keep distance from the Absalom's. Try to take, find your own way. I want to give this message to you, the younger people. Try, compare everything. Don't trust someone or something, 100% never. You take the goods and then they compare it with each other

and you take your place. I think in my younger time when I was activist, politically activist, I was ready to give my life in any moment. I was ready to do everything. And the way that I talked to be the best one, I couldn't accept any critic on that. It was absolutely the way I didn't think that any change in my life can anything in the in the, in the history can change it, that I can never doubt about them. But now I think my younger self would say that it's the old man, that he let go the ideas that are hard to believe on that.

But in the reality is that the book is, we tell you a dialogue between who I was and who I became. And I think it's a message that I want to give beyond it. Very powerful, and I think you're right. We always feel like in the moment we will always be this person forever, but we're constantly changing, and we should allow that change to happen in our lives, and not let others influence us, but just be able to change our perspective, open our minds and our hearts to other people and other.

ideas of living and that's powerful that you did that and I know it was really difficult for you to talk about your personal journey and like how you've changed because of specific things that happen in your life and also I guess like that there was a potential danger to your family if you exposed you know how you've lived you guys have lived the decisions you made but can you maybe tell us a little bit more about those those hard moments you know the things that really difficult to write about, perhaps? Absolutely. I had some stories that I had to tell,

and I hesitated a long time about that. One of them was just at the beginning, the history of my father, father who believed deeply in religion. And then he became some doubts about the core. with what God's word about

Muhammad and his wife so it is at a moment that these words that my father didn't believe that it could be God's words and it is what he told me when I was very young and it was the inner conflict

of my father that made him to change from believer religious to a socialist to communist. And it is, for me, it was hard to tell about that because it can have some misunderstanding of the Muslims that can take it, that it is something against them. And I didn't want that, but at the same time, I couldn't put it away because if I put it away, I haven't told this story and why this change has happened. So it is something that was hard to say. And another thing was about myself, that Glenn was before 15. I was under authority of my sister, who was two years older than me.

But she was stronger than me. She was captain of volleyball in the school, in the high school. And I was under authority physically and he could tell me everything that he wanted to do and I had to respect her. And I think as a boy in any country, not only in Iran, but in any country, it's a shame. You cannot write it honestly tell that. But I wanted to tell the world that it can all the ultra happen in Iran, in a country like Iran. You have the same conflicts, you have the same stories, you have the same feelings that everyone

in the world. It's so true. We're just all humans, you know, we're just all vessels having a human experience, no matter where we're born, no matter where we find ourselves living now. And we forget that, I think. We kind of get so tied up in our cultures. And it's beautiful to celebrate culture, but we're also just human, and we all have that in common, you know, which is so beautiful. So I'm super happy for you that you could put all of that on paper.

I'm sure you feel a bit lighter. Yeah, how was the experience of writing the book for you? Like, how did that feel writing a book and then publishing a book? Actually, I think for me, it was very important. At the beginning, I haven't believed I can do that. But after that, I put that my story formed in a book that other people can read it, can exchange about that. It was satisfying, very, very satisfying for me. For me, it was difficult.

First of all, I thought about my mother, her honesty, her kindness. I wanted to bring this inside the book. On the other hand, I thought what my father never give up. He always started from the beginning again and again, from nothing. And his perseverance to reach these targets was inspiring me to do that, to finish the book, to bring it out. and at the end I'm happy that I could do that. Yeah, yeah.

It's amazing what kind of influences and support we have from our family to help us kind of get through these moments because it's quite a thing to go and sit down and write your story. I mean, one thing is one thing to write a fiction, which is difficult in its own way, but to write your own story is quite a personal journey by itself. And so I'm sure it brought up a lot of things for you that you could work through and it's healing.

You know, it's kind of like a kind of therapy in a way, I'm sure. So what was the most challenging part about writing the book? And maybe you have some advice for future authors that are thinking about sharing their stories. I can, I think I can say to the younger people that the first thing, if you want to write the book, you understand your family and you write about your family or yourself. You can, first of all, you can trust only your family. If your family is what you can trust because you don't have something to hide, you leave each other, you can ask them, you can share with them.

And first of all, try to trust your family. And then try to understand the conflicts that maybe you have in your family. It's the case. But no one, no one, even partly in your family, never trust 100% to anything that you hear. Try to complain, try to investigate, try to see what, if it is, if they tell you something, if you have to expect that, if they expect that you do something, just think about that, that it is really what truly you believe on that, you want to do that.

Or it is what only that, but they expect you to do it and do it. It is not your way. You should do something else. You should try to select what you want to do is really what you believe that is good for you to do it. Not only your friends, but also for your family. All your friends, the friends you cannot transform on the person.

I don't mean that you should be cynical, but I mean that there are people that who are with you 100% today, tomorrow can be against you if their interest, personal interest change. So it is not logical. There are people when you have a very good friend, you're 100%, and you trust 100%, and you follow, you follow, and you follow, it's not a good way. Think, believe on yourself. Try to find your way and trust your own judgment by investigation, comparison, with your study. I love that. I love that. And I think it's important to highlight also that, you know, I know that a lot of people have

had difficult family situations and sometimes they find family within friends or other places in the world. and it's like whatever feels true to you, you know, and exactly like you're saying, I always believe that when you are in your best frequency and best energy, the right people will always attract, you will attract your tribe, you will attract the people that you need in your life. And you can trust that, you can trust your energy in the end of the day.

And I wanted to ask you one more question about kind of your sense of identity and belonging now, because you've moved around, you've lived in different places, you've been part of migration in the world, how has that shaped you? And maybe if you just want to tell us a little bit about where you moved and why and, yeah, how has that changed for you now and maybe shaped how you wrote the book? Yeah, when I left Iran, I wanted to, actually after several long-term activities in Iran, it was more. The format came that it was difficult for me to stay there. So I decided to came to Europe. It was not easy. I had to find, come up with a little amount of money.

It was very difficult that I had to find my way, my own way, to come here, illivary and to become refugee. And it was at the beginning very difficult, because it was another world and I was happy that I'm free, fine and free. I can find my way in a free world. But I saw that it's not easy because my past follows me. And very difficult if people judge you, without knowing you because of your origin.

And each person is different. In any country, you will find bad and good people. It is in the world, when you talk to normal people, you are always judged easily. Before they know you, before they try to know me, we have a place in their mind. They believe or they don't believe you. They have a cliche from media and so on.

And then, yeah, it is difficult. But I say I fight them. in this situation. After a long way, I found my way. I found friends. I found I fell in love. And I changed. I came to Germany and Germany and then I went to France to live together with my girlfriend. I learned first I learned to speak German and then French. and I found a place and find a world, my first world, and then it is what, and in the meantime, after I reached to Europe, I tried also to find, to compare my, what I believed by political, was my ideology. I tried to find to investigate what, was it the right way or not.

I met many, many people, many young people in Europe, the anarchists, the communists, the socialists. And then when I compared to them that I saw that, we were far away from the reality, that we had, we received barely some books. And when we read one book from Marx or Lenin, we thought, oh, we are Marxist or we are Lenin. And I found out that in Europe, the people, the people, people are far away beyond us in the organization, in the reflection of all of us. I had many, many contacts with the people. I saw that, okay, what I believe, not all is correct, but I want at the same time to be honest with myself, to find my place.

And finally, I'm happy that I did it. The people I discussed with them, they didn't really want to change me. Each one has his own position in a political or in the society, but that had good influence of it because I was in a free country. I could speak with everyone that you have. I could read any book. I can. I could exchange with anyone.

I can. And it shaped me to someone that I am. I am today that I think that many things that we believe was wrong, and now I know my place for that. It's been a journey. That I can hear, it's been a real journey for you. And it's amazing that along the way you were able to learn new languages and discover new places. And I feel like freedom is just the ultimate experience, you know. And whatever that means for you, every person's definition of freedom looks different, but being able to acquire knowledge freely and being able to make decisions and move freely is it should be normal, but it's a privilege

in a lot of ways in our society. So thank you for sharing all of that. And I want to just say thank you for being brave and putting your book into the world. I know it's taken many years. And it's for me a real honor to speak to you today about that. And I'm really happy to see it in the world. And for everyone listening, go check it out. If you're curious about Iran, such a beautiful country, rich of culture and diversity. And thank you for sharing your story in that. Maastak, it's been such a privilege and pleasure to chat to you today about it.

Thank you very much. I'm really happy that I would talk to you and share it with the world. And I had a privilege to talk to you. Thank you very much. Happy reading. To everyone listening, we hope you are happy, we hope you are reading, and we hope you that you are happily reading, and check out more books from the Stack series very, very soon.