ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the contribution of activist translators in Iran, drawing on the concept of organic intellectuals as developed by Gramsci. It is argued that the concept of organic intellectuals could be applied to this group of translators because of their political alignment with subordinate social classes, their politically informed translation work, and their counter-hegemonic discourse. In order to illustrate this argument, we examine the life and work of Iranian translator Mahmoud Etemadzadeh, also known as Behazin (1915–2006). The chapter also investigates attempts by the Shah’s regime, along with the US government, to neutralize leftist discourse through a translation project called Franklin Book Programs after the removal of Prime Minister Mossadegh in 1953 by a coup d’état. Up to the beginning of the Franklin Book Programs, leftist translations had a strong presence in the Iranian book market. However, after the implementation of US translation programs in Iran largely driven by an anti-communist agenda, the proportion of books favoring American culture and its ideological values dramatically increased. Our research highlights the role of activist translations as an agent of political change, showing how they play a vital role both in challenging and strengthening the hegemony of a ruling regime.
