Workshops & Courses

Hassan Farhangi: A Life Shaped by Words, Resilience, and Resistance

Hassan Farhangi is a visionary whose influence on Iranian culture was both profound and transformative before he was forced into exile. A deeply creative individual, he was not only a novelist and psychologist but also a cultural architect, shaping the literary and intellectual landscape of his homeland. However, his unwavering commitment to truth and free expression came at a great personal cost. Threatened with arrest by an authoritarian regime intolerant of dissenting voices, he had no choice but to leave the land that had shaped him, seeking refuge in the United Kingdom.

Before his involuntary exile, Farhangi had already established himself as a force within Iranian literature and culture. As a cultural manager and founder, he created spaces where creativity could flourish, despite the oppressive atmosphere surrounding intellectuals. One of his most remarkable contributions was the founding of Story House, an association that became a beacon of hope for Iranian literature. Through Story House, more than a hundred talented writers were introduced to the literary world, many of whom might never have had the opportunity to share their voices without his dedication. His ability to nurture and uplift others in a society that sought to silence them remains one of his most enduring legacies.

Yet, Farhangi was not only a cultural figure—he was also a political activist, one who refused to bow to the restrictions imposed on free speech in Iran. His courage was evident in his bold writings, particularly in his book The Writer Does Not Die, Pretends to Dying—a powerful act of defiance against a regime that systematically silenced, imprisoned, and even assassinated its most brilliant literary minds. In this book, he exposed the brutal realities of state censorship and the suffering endured by Iranian writers. With each page, he risked everything, knowing that truth had a price but choosing to speak it nonetheless.

Amidst his activism, Farhangi pursued his intellectual passions with unrelenting determination. He embarked on a PhD journey, developing his groundbreaking idea of Word Therapy in 2007. This innovative concept sought to explore the profound psychological impact of words on human thought and behaviour, offering a fresh perspective on healing and self-discovery. However, the same political oppression that forced him into exile also disrupted his academic aspirations. Unable to complete his thesis due to escalating threats, he was left with no choice but to flee to the UK, leaving behind not only his homeland but also the foundation of his life’s work.

Arriving in a foreign country with little financial security and no command of the English language, Farhangi faced obstacles that could have broken the spirit of a lesser person. But like Viktor Frankl, who survived the horrors of Auschwitz and emerged with an even greater commitment to his life’s work, Farhangi refused to let adversity define him. With relentless perseverance, he rebuilt his academic path from the ground up. He earned an undergraduate degree in psychology, followed by a master’s in criminology and psychopathology, and ultimately, he achieved his PhD in health psychology—a testament to his unbreakable will and unwavering belief in the power of words to heal, transform, and empower.

His story is not merely one of survival but of reinvention and triumph. Where others might have succumbed to despair, he made a promise to himself: to nurture and develop Word Therapy, to refine it, and to introduce it to the world. His journey is not just about personal success; it is about ensuring that words remain a force of liberation, rather than oppression. Today, through his work, he continues to inspire, proving that while regimes may silence voices, they can never extinguish the power of words—or the indomitable spirit of those who wield them.