What the jury said

The author, a native Iranian man, addresses the rapid transformation of his country after the 1979 revolution that installed Ayatollah Khomeini. He balances a variety of approaches: autobiographical, socio-political, and visionary. Nato in Iran constitutes an effective companion to Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis, while presenting a different perspective, not least because of their generational differences, focusing on the consequences of the revolution. A Bologna resident for over 8 years, he closes the story with arranging his emigration and the effect on his family. His artistic style is in-your-face: powerful, dynamic, and evocative, bringing the reader deep into the spectrum of his emotional realities. He uses the language of comics effectively, from page layout to splash pages, depicting a kind of dream state in contrast to the reality of his situation.