Naghmeh Samini

About Naghmeh

Naghmeh Samini (PhD) is a playwright, scriptwriter, and lecturer in Dramatic Arts. Born in Iran,
she earned her BA in Drama and MA in Cinema from the University of Tehran. She completed
her PhD in Art Studies at Tarbiat Modarres University in Tehran, with a thesis focused on Drama
and Mythology. Naghmeh was a professor at the University of Tehran for 15 years and has been
an affiliate professor at the University of Washington (Seattle) since 2019. She has been teaching
play writing in Cornish and Freehold since 2024.

Over twenty of her plays have been staged in Iran, France, India, Canada, the United States, and
other countries. Notable works include Sleeping in an Empty Cup, Sky Horses Rain Ashes, The
Home, and The Forgotten History of Mastaneh. Her screenplays, such as Main Line, Heiran, and
Three Women, have won awards, and she is the scriptwriter for one of the most popular Iranian
series, Shahrzad.

With over 25 years of research on One Thousand and One Nights, her insights are reflected in
her theoretical publications, speeches, and creative works. Inspired by One Thousand and One
Nights, she employs magic realism and non-linear narratives in her plays. Naghmeh is also the
author of several semi-fictional and theoretical books, including Wars and Bodies, The Theatre of
Mythology, and I Am Sindbad, You Are a Traveler.

Qualifications

PhD in Art Studies
Tarbiat Modarres University in Tehran

BA in Drama and MA in Cinema
University of Tehran