Tehran – The audio version of Nigerian author Chimamanda Nugoji Adichie’s book, The Thing Your Neck, has recently become available to Persian listeners.
The audiobook, narrated by Bahman Vakhshour, was created at Avaye Chirok, the leading Iranian laboratory that produces audiobooks.
The audiobook, translated by Solmaz Dolatzadeh, features the voices of Yas Jafari, Houra Emadi, Ainaz Khosrozadeh, Khadijeh Mirkhani, Leili Naderi, Sepideh Goudarzi, Saba Seraj and Zeinab Afkhami.
The Persian printed version of “The Thing Around Your Neck” is published by Aftabkaran Publications in Tehran.
“The Thing Around Your Neck” is a collection of short stories first published in 2009. Through these stories, Adichie explores themes of complex human connection that transcend identity, refuge, cultural conflict, and boundaries.
The collection begins with the Nigerian story of Selwan, followed by corrupt young people imprisoned in the infamous Selwan, highlighting the issues of justice and social corruption. In “Imitation,” a young mother Philadelphia, she tackles betrayal when she discovers the events of her art dealer husband and his lover who lives in a Lagos home. The “private experience” moves into a tense yet soft encounter between two women from different religious backgrounds during the riot, highlighting humanity shared beyond religious and ethnic divisions.
“Ghosts” reflect the memory of a retired professor and provides introspection about life and history. Last Monday depicts Kamala, a Nigerian woman in America, revealing the complexities faced by immigrants who become obsessed with their employer’s families and adapt to their new environment. Perhaps the most autobiographical “Jump Monkey Hill” takes place in the writer’s hideaway in Cape Town and shows the creative struggles and conflicts between African writers.
The story, called “What’s Around Your Neck,” follows Aknna, who moves to America, in the face of exploitation and cultural refuge, from her uncle’s abuse to her job as a waitress in Connecticut to her turbulent romantic relationship. The “American Embassy” explores the woman’s decision to abandon her asylum application after witnessing the murder of her son and exposing the harsh reality of seeking evacuation.
Other stories delve into personal loss and resilience. “Shaking” depicts a Nigerian woman from Princeton finding comfort in her prayers. “Arranging Marriage” depicts a woman struggling to reconcile her Nigerian roots with her life in New York. And “Tomorrow is Too Long” reveals a young woman facing the tragic death of her brother. Finally, the “robust historian” traces the women’s battle to regain family inheritance and maintain her legacy, highlighting the importance of cultural roots.
Adichie’s storytelling has been praised for her lyrical clarity and emotional depth, and the collection vividly explores the Nigerian diaspora and universal human experiences.
sab/