The intersection of addiction recovery, devotional poetry, and Iranian-American identity forms the core of Kaveh Akbar's acclaimed body of writing. Akbar initially earned recognition as a poet exploring faith and sobriety before publishing his bestselling debut prose work, Martyr! A Novel.
His writing bridges intimate personal struggles with philosophical and political questions, earning honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship and selection as a National Book Award finalist.
Career & Background
Born in Tehran, Iran, in 1989, Akbar moved to the United States at two years old. He pursued higher education in creative writing, earning a Master of Fine Arts from Butler University and a PhD from Florida State University. Akbar later joined the faculty at the University of Iowa, serving as director of the undergraduate creative writing program. Beyond university teaching, he founded the literary interview platform Divedapper and served as Poetry Editor for The Nation.
Akbar's early publications established his standing in contemporary poetry, beginning with his 2017 chapbook Portrait of the Alcoholic and his debut full-length collection, Calling a Wolf a Wolf, published the same year. He followed these with Pilgrim Bell in 2021. In addition to his own writing, Akbar edited The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse: 100 Poets on the Divine and co-edited Another Last Call: Poems on Alcoholism & Addiction with Paige Lewis. His honors include a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship, multiple Pushcart Prizes, the Levis Reading Prize, a Lucille Medwick Memorial Award, and inclusion on the 2024 TIME100 Next list.
Writing Style & Themes
Across poetry and prose, Akbar's work frequently engages with themes of addiction, sobriety, heritage, and spiritual longing. Drawing on his Iranian background and his experience learning English as a second language, he incorporates Farsi language elements and stylistic defamiliarization into his writing. His work balances emotional vulnerability with humor, confronting past trauma while seeking divine and human connection.
Major Works
- Martyr! A Novel — Published in 2024, this debut novel follows a recovering addict and poet named Cyrus Cyrus as he explores grief, art, and martyrdom. The book became an instant New York Times bestseller and was named a finalist for the National Book Award.
- Pilgrim Bell — Released in 2021, Akbar's second full-length poetry collection investigates faith, national identity, addiction, and spiritual longing through formally inventive verse.
- Calling a Wolf a Wolf — This 2017 debut poetry collection offers a direct, candid examination of addiction, physical breakdown, and the process of recovery.
- Portrait of the Alcoholic — A 2017 chapbook that presents a dreamlike examination of substance abuse, vulnerability, and early sobriety.
- The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse: 100 Poets on the Divine — An edited anthology gathering spiritual poetry across centuries and traditions, highlighting diverse artistic responses to the sacred.
