The literary world is reeling from the sudden death of Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian-born graphic novelist whose memoir Persepolis became a global phenomenon. She was 56. Sources close to the family confirm she died peacefully at her home in Paris, though the cause of death has not been disclosed.
Satrapi was in London last month for a reading at the Southbank Centre. Friends say she appeared in good spirits. The loss is profound.
Persepolis, first published in French in 2000, chronicled her childhood during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. It sold millions of copies, was translated into dozens of languages, and turned Satrapi into an unlikely icon of resistance. British writers and critics are issuing tributes.
Zadie Smith called her "a voice of defiance and humour in the face of tyranny." The book was burned by Iranian authorities.
It was also adapted into an Oscar-nominated animated film. Satrapi's later work, including the films The Voices and Radioactive, never matched that early success. But she remained a fierce critic of the Tehran regime.
She once said, "I am Iranian. I will never forget that."
The British literary scene, which embraced her as one of its own, is now in mourning. The funeral will be private.
