Gholamhossein Saedi was a prominent writer and playwright whose works combined social realism with sharp political insight. In 1961, he met Jalal Al-e Ahmad and was deeply influenced by his ideas, which gave Saedi’s literary voice a distinctly political tone. During his student years, he was drawn to Marxist thought and slogans. Around the time of the oil nationalization movement, he joined the Tudeh Party of Iran and began studying Marxist literature seriously.
In 1953, Saedi was arrested and interrogated for alleged membership in the party but was released after several days. He later reflected that affiliation with a political group provided a sense of identity and belonging, motivating him to prove himself as a committed insider. Throughout his career, he was arrested multiple times due to his plays and political positions. During these detentions, he endured severe physical and psychological torture by SAVAK.
After the revolution, he supported various leftist groups. In 1982, he moved to Paris, where he lived in exile until his death in 1985, reportedly due to excessive alcohol consumption.
