When my friend had finished reading the Safe House novel, he told me, “I could not sleep all night. You always think that it is possible for such things to happen in Iran.” I laughed and said, “No, such things only happen in stories.” Ten years later, the Iranian Police system actually put in action the Safe House novel. —Ebrahim Navabi
 
About the author
Ebrahim Nabavi, born November 1958, is an Iranian satirist, journalist and novelist who has published 64 books so far. He has been writing satire about everyday political events of Iran on the internet and in his books for fifteen years. Before this, he has won the prize of the Best Satirist of the Year from the Iranian Journalists Association, won the Hellman Hemmett Grant in 1999, Prince Klaus’ Award in 2005 and the Puccini Award from the Viareggio Festival in Italy in 2009. Ebrahim Navai has published 5 collections of short stories and 4 novels. The Safe House novel was written in 2002 after he was released from prison. This novel was printed a number of times in Tehran and later banned by the government.