Afsaneh Hojabri~Research Coordinator

I am an anthropologist and worked as a freelance researcher, project coordinator, trainer, and writer with various Non-Government Organizations and academic institutions on social policy, refugee advocacy, and minority rights, particularly the gender dimension of refugee and settlement issues.

For the past 15 years, I have been an active blogger in both English and Persian languages, with a focus on food and food writing and its significance for the Iranian diaspora. During this time, I have also worked as a freelance content producer and writer for several Persian media outlets, exploring topics ranging from culture and society to politics and current events.

Over the years, I have written several journal articles, book chapters and a culinary memoir. To cite only a few examples, my 2012 memoir, A Sip, A Bite, A mouthful, offers a glimpse into the role of food in Iranian culture, as well as my journey growing up in Shiraz. In my 2020 article, “Iranian Women’s Food Writing in Diaspora,” published in Anthropology of the Middle East, I discussed the unique ways in which Iranian women use food writing to navigate their experiences of migration and diaspora. I am deeply interested in life stories and oral history and this interest is perhaps best reflected in in my occasional paper for the Montreal Life Stories CURA project, “Methodology, Training, and Ethics” published in 2009.

I have also produced two radio programs, “Afsaneh-khane” for Radio Koocheh which ran from 2012-2014, and “Stories of Iranian Montrealers about Iran’s Post Election Uprising” for CKUT 9:30 FM in 2009.

Hojabri, Afsaneh (2020). “Iranian Women’s Food Writing in Diaspora”. Anthropology of the
Middle East, Fall, 15(2), 81-96.

Hojabri, Afsaneh (2012). A Sip, A Bite, A Mouthful: A memoir of Food and growing up in
Shiraz.

Hojabri, Afsaneh (2009, April 29). “Methodology, training and ethics in the Montreal Life
Stories CURA, Occasional Paper #1” Retrieved from
http://www.lifestoriesmontreal.ca/en/resources/publications

Hojabri, Afsaneh (2006). “Let my picture wander with your hat: A bitter tale of settlement”,
Canadian Ethnic Studies, 38(2), 161-168. 

Hojabri, Afsaneh (2006). “Like Parvin, like Najiba, like Heba, we are all different: Reflections
on voices of women in diaspora.” In H. Moghissi (Ed), Muslim Diaspora: Gender, Culture, and
Identity” (pp. 61-78). London: Routledge.


Online Publications:

Hojabri, Afsaneh (2010, March 12). “Dancing to protest repression and violence” Retrieved from
http://www.lifestoriesmontreal.ca/en/blogs/dancing-to-protest-repression-and-violence

Hojabri, Afsaneh (2009, August 01). “Iran’s uprising; Global-citizen Activism; and Iranian-
Montrealers’ Hunger-Strike” Retrieved from http://www.lifestoriesmontreal.ca/en/blogs/iran%…

Hojabri, A. (2009, April 29). “Methodology, training and ethics in the Montreal Life Stories
CURA, Occasional Paper #1”. Retrieved from
http://www.lifestoriesmontreal.ca/en/resources/publications

Radio Productions:

Hojabri, A. (Producer). (2012-2014). “ Afsaneh-khaneh ” [Radio series]. Radio Koocheh.

Hojabri, A. (Producer). (2009). “Stories of Iranian Montrealers about Iran’s Post Election
Uprising” [Radio program]. CKUT 9.30 FM Available at
http://www.lifestoriesmontreal.ca/en/radio-works