Role of Iranian Writers’ Association (IWA) and Its Members in Promotion of Struggles against the Pahlavi Regime

This research is an attempt to find an appropriate answer to the principal question of “What approach did the Iranian Writers’ Association (IWA) and its members adopt during the last two decades of Pahlavi reign and what were the measures taken by its members?” Results of the research indicate that the Iranian Writers’ Association was founded in response to the cultural policies of Pahlavi reign. The Leftists held the intellectual dominance in the association, although there were also other intellectual tendencies more or less active in this cultural institution. The majority of the association’s members were both cultural elites with outstanding political affiliations. Their membership in political groups and parties such as Tudeh Party of Iran, Society of Socialists and the National Front had necessarily developed IWA from a conservative and non-active body into a tactful circle in confrontation with political and cultural issues of the Iranian society. In spite of its cultural approach, this association entered the political struggles at an era of the Iranian history to exert influence on flaring up of the protests against the Pahlavi regime. However, the discord among its members in the head of the revolution, particularly in the course of second-term elections for secretaries, and their attitudes toward the revolutionary developments, restricted their effectuation.