The Dawn —
Shiva was born in 1961 in Tehran, Iran. She grew up in an urban cultural environment and developed an early interest in literature, language, and the arts. She studied health sciences at the University of Tehran and later earned a master’s degree in English translation.
During the early years of the Iran–Iraq War, she volunteered as a medical aid worker at the front, an experience that later shaped the social and human dimensions of her writing.
The Quest —
Arastooei’s life was marked by social and cultural challenges. In 1994, she was among the signatories of the “Statement of 134 Writers,” a declaration protesting censorship and advocating freedom of thought, expression, and publication.
Her wartime experiences, social engagement, and the tense cultural climate of post-revolutionary Iran shaped her critical voice and perspective.
The Manifestation —
She began studying fiction writing in the early 1990s in workshops led by Reza Baraheni and soon established herself as a poet, short-story writer, and novelist.
Her works explore women’s experiences, urban life, and psychological complexity, combining realism with a critical social lens. She later taught fiction writing at the University of the Arts in Tehran and Farabi University, and ran her own workshop, “Vanka.”
The Echo —
Arastooei became a significant voice in contemporary Iranian literature. Her notable works include Aftaab Mahtaab, Bibi Shahrzad, and I Came to Drink Tea with My Daughter. She also worked as a consultant on war-related films and appeared in several short films.She died in 2025 on her sixty-fourth birthday. Her death, described as a deliberate personal choice, drew attention to the psychological and social pressures faced by writers.Her short story collection Aftaab Mahtaab received both the Yalda Literary Award and the Houshang Golshiri Literary Award in 2003.