COMING MARCH 2025

THE READER’S EDITION

Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings

By Abolqasem Ferdowsi
Contemporary translation by Ahmad Sadri
Edited by Melissa Hibbard and Hamid Rahmanian
Introduction by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

A fresh and compulsively readable new translation of the Persian epic Shahnameh, for fans of Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology and Edith Hamilton’s Mythology.

We are excited to announce that the new Reader’s Edition of Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings is in the final stages of production. It will be released in March 2025 through our publisher, Liveright and available wherever books are sold.

We have partnered once again with the talented Dr. Ahmad Sadri to complete the full translation of Ferdowsi’s masterpiece. The original poem of more than 50,000 lines is divided into two parts. Part I contains the epic and mythological section beginning with the spark of civilization through the death of the mythical hero Rostam. Part II contains a fictionalized retelling of ancient Iranian history through the Arab conquest in the seventh century ACE.

Our original illustrated edition of Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings (2013) contained the first part of the poem. Now, after more than three years of painstaking work and attention to every detail, we have completed the historical section. This new reader’s edition is an accessible translation that will delight readers across the literary spectrum.

We can’t wait to share this new project with you! Stay tuned for more details.

This new edition has garnered praise from readers, critics, and educators alike! Here’s what they’re saying:
"Sadri, Hibbard, and Rahmanian have given us the definitive English edition Shahnameh. There cannot be a more lovingly translated, artfully presented version—what a profound gift for lovers of Iran, history, language, poetry, language, humanity. What a gift for us all." --Kaveh Akbar, author of Martyr!

"A masterful prose translation of the Shahnameh—the Persian Book of Kings which recounts in epic form the myths, legends and history of the Iranians from the creation to the fall of the Sasanian Empire in the 7th Century CE—and which remains a pillar of Iranian identity to this day. This new translation will make the tales of the Shahnameh, replete with heroes, kings and moral injunctions, available to a new generation of readers." —Professor Ali M. Ansari, professor of Iranian History and founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at St. Andrew's University 

“A masterpiece of world literature that has influenced some of the greatest works ever written—from Dante to Tolkien. Ahmad Sadri‘s new, contemporary translation of The Shahnameh captures the beauty and grandeur of this sweeping epic of heroism, love, and the timeless struggle for justice. For readers seeking an entry into one of history’s most magnificent epics, the Norton edition offers an accessible, powerful experience of this enduring classic.” —Reza Aslan, Author and Editor of Tablet & Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East 

"The Book of Kings (Shahnameh) is the single most important text for understanding the history and worldview of the Persianate World. The Books of Kings provides the mythical, epic and historical tales of the ancient Iranians, from the creation to the fall of the last Persian Empire. The modern translation in prose by Ahmad Sadri beautifully captures the essence of this great Medieval Persian epic for the English-speaking world." —Touraj Daryaee, Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies & Culture, UC Irvine

Persian Mythology for the Modern World

Eleventh-century Persian poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi devoted more than thirty years to crafting the Shahnameh, or Book of Kings. Since its appearance over a thousand years ago, it has come to be considered Iran’s national epic, its more than 50,000 couplets telling the story of creation and chronicling the legends and kings, the heroes and quests and mythical creatures, at the heart of Persian mythology. Ahmad Sadri’s prose translation of the Shahnameh into English opens the world of the Persian empire kings to new audiences across the globe. His new English translation and adaptation presents the original poem in accessible, fresh prose. This contemporary English rendition of the epic of the Persian kings is an extraordinary literary accomplishment.

This book was made possible
with the generous support of the
Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation

This book is published by Liveright, a division of W.W.Norton & Company