Esmail Khoi is one of the most important contemporary Persian poets living in exile. Born in 1938, he was educated in Iran and England, and began his career in Iran as a lecturer in philosophy. Khoi is a founding member of the Writers Association of Iran, created out of opposition to the restrictions placed on intellectual freedoms in monarchical Iran. In order to circumvent censorship, Khoi developed his own symbolism as a lyric poet, combining "thoughts, moods and images in a dense melodic language, pleasing both to the ears and to the soul" (Bozorg Alavi). He was dismissed from his position as University lecturer by the Shah's regime because of his oppositional attitude and advocacy of revolutionary change. He faced a greater oppressive governmental system in the early 1980s when, as a leading member of the intellectual opposition to clerical rule, he was forced to spend almost two years in hiding before eventually fleeing his homeland in 1983. Since then, Khoi has emerged as a most articulate poetic voice of the Iranian Diaspora. Fearlessly and courageously, he has gone beyond chronicling his own life in exile to defend human rights and political freedom the world over. He continues to speak out for the rights of Salman Rushdie, Taslima Nassrin, and others.
