Tala Motazedi, a screenwriter and playwright originally from Iran, is the recipient of the 2024 PEN Canada-Humber College Writers in Exile Scholarship. During her year at Humber, she will work on her new novel, King Kong 1941.
With a background in dramatic literature from the University of Tehran, Motazedi’s writing explores women’s issues and queer immigrant experiences. She’s been recognized at international festivals like the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the San Francisco IndieFest and her plays have been performed internationally. She is a member of PEN Canada’s Writers in Exile community.
With one-on-one support from a professional writer-mentor, the scholarship is intended for writers working on book-length projects, including a novel, a volume of short stories, or a book of poetry. This year, Motazedi will work under the guidance of a mentor, as she works on her novel, King Kong 1941.
The book is set in 1940s Iran, where fascism is taking hold and a series of mysterious infanticides take place. While WWII rages on, King Kong 1941 follows an undercover Canadian agent who infiltrates to aid Iranian police in their investigations. Along the way, he joins forces with an Iranian detective, who is wrestling with his own identity and secrets. Their mission: uncover and dismantle a network of Nazi spies in Iran.
King Kong 1941, sitting at the intersection of history, politics, and identity issues, illuminates the conditions that led to the formation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which continues today. The novel draws its namesake from the 1933 film, one of the most popular foreign films screened in Iran at the time, whose beast Motazedi uses symbolically in her novel.
“In a world facing rising nationalism and extremist policies, it is crucial to remind people of the dangers of fascism and its impact on societies,” says the Toronto-based writer, who witnessed sexual and political discrimination growing up in Iran.
She sees the novel as a warning to the world. “This story reflects a real and terrifying history that can still teach us valuable lessons,” she says. “I hope it will draw readers’ attention to critical social and political issues.”
About Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
Innovation. Opportunity. Partnership. Support. At Humber College, we bring it all to more than 86,000 learners, in-person and online. As a global leader in polytechnic education, Humber provides in-depth theoretical learning, hands-on, work-integrated experiences and applied research opportunities to students at three main Toronto locations and beyond. Extensive industry connections, experienced faculty and a comprehensive range of credentials, including honours undergraduate degrees, Ontario graduate certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships, and certificates prepare career-ready global citizens for success in the future world of work. Visit humber.ca.
The Humber School for Writers is noted for its exceptional creative writing mentors including authors of world stature. Past mentors include Martin Amis, Peter Carey, Miriam Toews, David Mitchell, Esi Edugyan, Nino Ricci, Margaret Atwood, Lawrence Hill, Anne Michaels, Edward Albee, Ha Jin and Alistair MacLeod. Recent international authors have included Jenny Offill, Nell Freudenberger, and Ben Fountain.
About PEN Canada
PEN Canada is a nonpartisan organization that celebrates literature, defends freedom of expression, and assists writers in peril at home and abroad. The English-language Canadian centre was founded in 1983 and is proud to be one of over 130 centres of PEN International.
