Khalvati, Mimi

(1944- )

   Born in Tehran, Iran, she grew up on the Isle of Wight, England, and was educated at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and at the Drama Centre and the School of African and Oriental Studies, London. She has worked as an actor and director in both the U.K. and Iran, and is coordinator of the Poetry School, London. She is a tutor at the Arvon Foundation (with centers in various parts of Britain) and has taught creative writing at universities and colleges in the U.S. and England. Khalvati was poet in residence at the Royal Mail, London, and has given readings of her work at festivals in Britain and mainland Europe. She won the 1994 Arts Council Writers' Award for her collection Mirrorwork (Carcanet Press 1995). Some of her other publications: Entries on Light, 1997. Selected Poems, 2000. Tying the Song: A First Antholog y from the Poetry School 1997-2000, 2000 (co-editor, Pascale Petit, see entry). The Chine, 2002. Entering the Tapestry: A Second Antholog y from the Poetry School, 2003 (coeditor, Graham Fawcett). Some of her poems: "Baba Mostafa," "Love in an English August," "Overblown Roses," "Rubaiyat."

   Sources: British Council Arts (http://www.contemporarywriters.com). English Literary Linguistic Studies: Franks Casket, Poems That Keep Ringing (http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/walk/xen19/reviews.htm). Poems of Mimi Khalvati (http://www.shu.ac.uk/schools/cs/english/sheaf/khalvati.htm). Making for Planet Alice: New Women Poets. Maura Dooley, ed. Bloodaxe Books, 1997. New Women Poets. Carol Rumens, ed. Bloodaxe Books, 1990. Parents: An Antholog y of Poems by Women Writers. Myra Schneider and Dilys Wood, eds. Enitharmon Press, 2000. Poetry to Calm Your Soul. Mimi Khalvati, ed. MQ Publications, 2005. The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The New Exeter Book of Riddles. Kevin Crossley-Holland and Lawrence Sail, ed. Enitharmon Press, 1999.