Tala Motazedi, a screenwriter and novelist from Iran, has been chosen as the 2024 PEN Writer-in-Residence at George Brown College. She is the first screenwriter and first playwright to receive the residency.
Her work at the College began in September. As part of her residency, Tala has been visiting classrooms across campus, acting as a guest speaker. Now halfway through her residency, she will continue this work until April 2025.
Just over a year ago, Tala was forced to flee Iran due to political and personal persecution tied to her identity and work. Censorship in Iran was difficult to navigate as a screenwriter, where films face bans and artists fear arrest. When Women Life Freedom protests broke out in 2022, a spirited Motazedi stood with protestors and refused to comply with hijab mandates. For this, her 2021 film Orca was banned, and all those involved in the film were threatened, including Motazedi, who found herself banned from working.
Despite the challenges of censorship and political persecution, Motazedi has been recognized at international film festivals like the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the San Francisco IndieFest. And with a background in dramatic literature from the University of Tehran, she has collaborated across continents with theatre artists. Her plays have been performed internationally.
Since arriving in Canada in 2023, she has joined PEN Canada as a Writer in Exile and received both the Humber PEN Scholarship and the George Brown residency. With this, her first year in Canada has been full of promise.
This year marks an incredible anniversary for the George Brown PEN Writer-in-Residence program, which has provided opportunity for over 20 years. Since 2004, George Brown has partnered with PEN Canada to invite exiled writers into the College to discuss freedom of expression, human rights, and the importance of democracy. By sharing their stories, the Writer-in-Residence engages with the George Brown community and contributes to the College’s goals of inclusion and support for Canadian newcomers.
“The opportunity to collaborate with students, faculty, and staff in such a dynamic and diverse environment is something I deeply value,” Tala says. “Engaging with the College community has allowed me to share my experiences and insights while also expanding my own world and perspective.”
To-date, the George Brown residency has provided opportunity to 18 exiled writers who emigrated to Canada from 11 countries. Their life stories are as diverse as they are triumphant, as they all fled either persecution, violence or a threat to their lives in their homeland. Former residents include Shams Erfan, Aaron Berhane, Ava Homa, and Luis Horacio Nájera.
“When we talk about diversity in Canada, we have to mention George Brown College,” Tala says. “As a writer, it’s a great opportunity for me to meet people from different cultures. Nowadays, I have friends from Turkey and Syria, and I’ve learned a lot from them.”
Currently, Tala is working on a novel that examines themes of race, resilience, discrimination, and queer life during World War II, blending historical depth with supernatural elements rooted in cultural folklore. “This project draws from my personal experiences in Iran, where fear forced me to hide my true self for many years,” she says, speaking of her identity as a queer woman. “Now, in this newfound freedom, I am exploring the suppressed aspects of my identity and reflecting on how life under an oppressive government caused me to lose sight of who I truly was.”
About George Brown College
Toronto’s George Brown College is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples. George Brown prepares innovative, adaptable graduates with the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing job market. With three campuses in the downtown core, the college blends theory with experiential learning, applied research, and entrepreneurship opportunities. George Brown offers 175 full-time programs and 182 continuing education certificates/designations across a wide variety of professions to more than 28,500 full-time students and receives more than 53,600 continuing education registrations annually. Students can earn certificates, diplomas, graduate certificates, apprenticeships, and degrees. www.georgebrown.ca.
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 140 centres of PEN International.
