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The Ministry of Guidance
Set in Iran and Europe, these stories are brilliantly deft at summoning up the dilemmas of their characters. Fresh, bold and disruptive, these are stories that argue for nuance in a world that wants to make things black and white.
216 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 12, 2022
A bundle of short stories on desire in Iran, going abroad, being queer and longing for home. Highly enjoyable and well written
She loved her country like a mother, loving her mentally disabled child
Desire and university taught people despairing about the direction of their country are at the heart of the stories Golnoosh Nour presents to us in The Ministry of Guidance. Studying is an excuse to leave Iran and desire more often than not is queer in nature in this bundle.
I really enjoyed the book, thoughts per story below:
Ministry for guidance - 4 stars
Ministerial approval for publishing a poetry bundle leads a modern day 23 year girl to lend a chador from her mother. Well done how government power can easily lead to abuses.
An evening of martyrdom- 4 stars
She sensed she didn’t know any of the people here, especially herself
Music again plays a large part in this story. While national mourning ongoing, a girl plays games and picks up a fascination with a woman in a group of queer people meeting
Terror of the religious police is very clear.
Caspian - 4.5 stars
She wanted to have both God and her brother
A story focussing on a girl and her idealised brother, well done in build up of tension and the choice between a good citizen and familial ties.
Spoiled - 2.5 stars
A girl’s infatuation towards another girl turns into a argument while on a trip.
Too short to be really impactful for me.
Tehran yaoi - 4 stars
It’s just not possible for a horse to race a rat
A party and infatuation brings the character of a gay man of 23 to the fore.
Fun without politics is never really possible.
Soho - 4.5 stars
Have the strength to accept what you’ve strived for.
An immigrant Iranian woman in London, fearing a STDI, has a breakdown
Regretting our self sabotaging beauty is something she thinks but in dialogue she is more hilariously not as eloquent:
Main character: I have slept with 13 men.
Healthcare worker: That doesn’t mean you’ve got AIDS
Threesome - 4 stars
Wine being a normal gift for parties, and nieces smoking weed together.
Also the main lesbian couple is idealised but as always they are also turn out to be just humans.
God’s mistake - 4 stars
A girl is confronted by her diary and her mother, and her own (lack of) character
Oshima - 3 stars
A Murakami reading girl is trying to escape Iran by staying with her aunt. Exasperated, sampling German boys and beers, she gets embroiled with a wrong man who makes her release something.
Art lessons - 4.5 stars
Obsession turns ugly for an art student
Shiroz Rings - 3 stars
The quiet tragedy of gay relations in Iran, from student life to marriage.
Would have enjoyed this more if it was a bit longer, in the vein of Swimming in the Dark but than situated in Iran.
Acid - 4 stars
A traveller loses all her languages in the end
An English student gets a existential check-in to her life, originating from a party.
Transit - 4 stars
Bacon has a main role in this story of coming home via an Ukrainian airport. Especially funny/ironic are the Iranian sighs about too many refugees in Europe during this near eternal transit.
She loved her country like a mother, loving her mentally disabled child
Desire and university taught people despairing about the direction of their country are at the heart of the stories Golnoosh Nour presents to us in The Ministry of Guidance. Studying is an excuse to leave Iran and desire more often than not is queer in nature in this bundle.
I really enjoyed the book, thoughts per story below:
Ministry for guidance - 4 stars
Ministerial approval for publishing a poetry bundle leads a modern day 23 year girl to lend a chador from her mother. Well done how government power can easily lead to abuses.
An evening of martyrdom- 4 stars
She sensed she didn’t know any of the people here, especially herself
Music again plays a large part in this story. While national mourning ongoing, a girl plays games and picks up a fascination with a woman in a group of queer people meeting
Terror of the religious police is very clear.
Caspian - 4.5 stars
She wanted to have both God and her brother
A story focussing on a girl and her idealised brother, well done in build up of tension and the choice between a good citizen and familial ties.
Spoiled - 2.5 stars
A girl’s infatuation towards another girl turns into a argument while on a trip.
Too short to be really impactful for me.
Tehran yaoi - 4 stars
It’s just not possible for a horse to race a rat
A party and infatuation brings the character of a gay man of 23 to the fore.
Fun without politics is never really possible.
Soho - 4.5 stars
Have the strength to accept what you’ve strived for.
An immigrant Iranian woman in London, fearing a STDI, has a breakdown
Regretting our self sabotaging beauty is something she thinks but in dialogue she is more hilariously not as eloquent:
Main character: I have slept with 13 men.
Healthcare worker: That doesn’t mean you’ve got AIDS
Threesome - 4 stars
Wine being a normal gift for parties, and nieces smoking weed together.
Also the main lesbian couple is idealised but as always they are also turn out to be just humans.
God’s mistake - 4 stars
A girl is confronted by her diary and her mother, and her own (lack of) character
Oshima - 3 stars
A Murakami reading girl is trying to escape Iran by staying with her aunt. Exasperated, sampling German boys and beers, she gets embroiled with a wrong man who makes her release something.
Art lessons - 4.5 stars
Obsession turns ugly for an art student
Shiroz Rings - 3 stars
The quiet tragedy of gay relations in Iran, from student life to marriage.
Would have enjoyed this more if it was a bit longer, in the vein of Swimming in the Dark but than situated in Iran.
Acid - 4 stars
A traveller loses all her languages in the end
An English student gets a existential check-in to her life, originating from a party.
Transit - 4 stars
Bacon has a main role in this story of coming home via an Ukrainian airport. Especially funny/ironic are the Iranian sighs about too many refugees in Europe during this near eternal transit.
September 7, 2021
These short, deceptively simple stories, are about people who don't quite belong. Gender, sexuality, race, belief or the lack of it, set them apart, both in the Iranian homeland that's depicted with honesty and fondness and, in a few cases, in a Europe often seen as an absolute sanctuary, yet with its own drawbacks and fissures.
Most of all, Noor tells us about desire and love and fear. What it is to love under the looming threat of loss and condemnation, what it is to love kin, but fear they will be hurt by whom one is, or by the consequences of one's unusual identity, what it is to instantly, absolutely desire another, and to feel cold fear within that space of yearning. To know that the most condemned volumes on the shelves - whether by Farrokhzad or Hedayet - are the books that speak to you, in a culture increasingly focused on adherence to another, very different book.
These are beautiful, quietly complex stories. They are filled with life, music, poetry and sensitivity. I hope people will love them for their subtle, yet exquisite craft, as much as for what they show us of the lives of young Iranians negotiating difficult worlds.
Most of all, Noor tells us about desire and love and fear. What it is to love under the looming threat of loss and condemnation, what it is to love kin, but fear they will be hurt by whom one is, or by the consequences of one's unusual identity, what it is to instantly, absolutely desire another, and to feel cold fear within that space of yearning. To know that the most condemned volumes on the shelves - whether by Farrokhzad or Hedayet - are the books that speak to you, in a culture increasingly focused on adherence to another, very different book.
These are beautiful, quietly complex stories. They are filled with life, music, poetry and sensitivity. I hope people will love them for their subtle, yet exquisite craft, as much as for what they show us of the lives of young Iranians negotiating difficult worlds.
March 29, 2020
A fascinating collection of stories set in Iran and Europe showcasing sex, longing and desire in many of its forms with an emphasis on LGBTQI relationships.
There is a matter-of-factness in the voice of these stories and the explicit sexual encounters are strikingly stark, while the relationships and power dynamics between characters are nuanced and quick to change, and varied across the stories. Some seek sex as oblivion - a way to wipe out worries and their own self consciousness about being in the world. Other characters pride themselves on their hedonism which is a refreshing and different representation of young Iranians for westerners like myself to read - there is even a knowing reference to Marjane Satrapi's comics, and how there isn't just one story to tell about Iranians.
The different points of view are well captured and range from young women who come to understand more of the world, to the heartbreak of unrequited love to the corruption of the publishing industry.
Some of my favourite stories were Caspian, Spoilt, Art Lessons, Acid and Transit. Acid and Transit were particularly strong stories that evoked much about their narrators lives, their sexual fluidity and sense of yearning and living in between two places, two lives and two futures.
I look forward to reading more of Nour's work in the future.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher @muswellpress for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
There is a matter-of-factness in the voice of these stories and the explicit sexual encounters are strikingly stark, while the relationships and power dynamics between characters are nuanced and quick to change, and varied across the stories. Some seek sex as oblivion - a way to wipe out worries and their own self consciousness about being in the world. Other characters pride themselves on their hedonism which is a refreshing and different representation of young Iranians for westerners like myself to read - there is even a knowing reference to Marjane Satrapi's comics, and how there isn't just one story to tell about Iranians.
The different points of view are well captured and range from young women who come to understand more of the world, to the heartbreak of unrequited love to the corruption of the publishing industry.
Some of my favourite stories were Caspian, Spoilt, Art Lessons, Acid and Transit. Acid and Transit were particularly strong stories that evoked much about their narrators lives, their sexual fluidity and sense of yearning and living in between two places, two lives and two futures.
I look forward to reading more of Nour's work in the future.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher @muswellpress for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2021
A book of short love stories set mainly in Tehran, focusing on LGBTQ+ Iranians and their experiences. What does it mean to be in love, in a country that is so religious? In a country where being gay is frowned upon, where you can’t be yourself because you’re in constant fear of where you will end up if they catch you?
As an Iranian, who has lived in England for majority of my life, I have always wondered what it would mean to be a young adult in Iran and this book gave me just that. I have always been curious about the culture among the youngsters, and the stories in this book gave me snippets of what it would be like. Secret parties and homemade alcohol.
It was heartbreaking to read the torment they go through within themselves, hiding parts of themselves from family and friends, never truly being able to express the love they feel for those around them. This book is very important in showcasing a perspective that isn’t talked about enough, as well as giving insight to Iranian culture.
As an Iranian, who has lived in England for majority of my life, I have always wondered what it would mean to be a young adult in Iran and this book gave me just that. I have always been curious about the culture among the youngsters, and the stories in this book gave me snippets of what it would be like. Secret parties and homemade alcohol.
It was heartbreaking to read the torment they go through within themselves, hiding parts of themselves from family and friends, never truly being able to express the love they feel for those around them. This book is very important in showcasing a perspective that isn’t talked about enough, as well as giving insight to Iranian culture.
March 27, 2024
I can not fault the stories in this collection, they are wonderful, but I couldn't help being depressed at the reality behind these stories - hypocritical older men imposing religious based oppression on women to control them and restrict what they do, think and are. It just made me very sad - which is not to suggest that they are not worth reading - not all - they need to be read. But you will feel sad and depressed afterwards.
October 31, 2025
A fascinating and revealing book of stories not only about Iranian queer life but about life in Iran and the immigrant experience. There were so many things I loved about these stories. For one, the mysteriousness of the narrator’s gender.Sometimes it would be quite a few pages into the story that I would learn the gender of the narrator because of some small detail. It felt more of a commentary on myself—my own stereotypes about Iranian women, men or transgender people and in general.
I found all the stories revealing and insightful. I learned so much about Iranian culture and family and religion however cursorily. Above all, that queer culture, the need for queer relationships, and the flowering and fulfillment of them exists— no matter how threatening or how oppressive the government is! It is astounding and a testament to “we are everywhere.”
From “An Evening of Martyrdom”:
“Mina felt deaf and blind, and incandescent. All the stories and news she’d heard about people being lashed, imprisoned, and even executed for alcohol and homosexual sex started revolving in her head like a poisonous tornado. She was not sure what her punishment would be, but she knew it would be massive. She knew she was a criminal and her whole existence a terrible crime.”
Yet things turn out alright. It seems few people are stopped. Life goes on.
I feel these stories are precious and should be read by so many people. There were a few stories that I felt rambled but I loved the rambling too because I took in the minutia of life.
One of my favorite stories “Caspian” is about a religious young woman observing the relationship between her brother and his friend. Her devout character is so beautiful, admirable, and intense— I was quite taken with her. And the place of religion and family in the young people’s lives was so clear and strong. We are all products of our cultures.
I am grateful I came across The Ministry of Guidance by Golnoosh Nour in my Instagram feed. I also review books there as Sonjareadsandwrites.
I found all the stories revealing and insightful. I learned so much about Iranian culture and family and religion however cursorily. Above all, that queer culture, the need for queer relationships, and the flowering and fulfillment of them exists— no matter how threatening or how oppressive the government is! It is astounding and a testament to “we are everywhere.”
From “An Evening of Martyrdom”:
“Mina felt deaf and blind, and incandescent. All the stories and news she’d heard about people being lashed, imprisoned, and even executed for alcohol and homosexual sex started revolving in her head like a poisonous tornado. She was not sure what her punishment would be, but she knew it would be massive. She knew she was a criminal and her whole existence a terrible crime.”
Yet things turn out alright. It seems few people are stopped. Life goes on.
I feel these stories are precious and should be read by so many people. There were a few stories that I felt rambled but I loved the rambling too because I took in the minutia of life.
One of my favorite stories “Caspian” is about a religious young woman observing the relationship between her brother and his friend. Her devout character is so beautiful, admirable, and intense— I was quite taken with her. And the place of religion and family in the young people’s lives was so clear and strong. We are all products of our cultures.
I am grateful I came across The Ministry of Guidance by Golnoosh Nour in my Instagram feed. I also review books there as Sonjareadsandwrites.
September 25, 2023
i’d maybe give this 3.5 but not enough to give it four. collection of short stories about a collection of young queer people living or from Iran. for me, some of the stories felt too like other ones, and I found it hard to connect into some of them. the writing was repetitive, and at times, jilted. i also didn’t like the continuous ableist language the writer used, across all stories. words like “crippled” used frequently, page 5, the writer describes the character loving Iran “in the same way a mother loves their mentally disabled child”, and the use of the r-slur twice too. I wanted to love this, and saved it to read during bisexual awareness week, as I’d heard it was a beautiful collection of bisexual/queer stories, but I felt punched down on as a member of the community. I think a lot of queer writers need to assess and recalibrate their relationship to disability and the disabled members of the queer community. we aren’t the but of a joke or a ableistly worded anecdote. we are people too.
January 16, 2026
Each story was somehow even better than the last. Such lovely prose seeping with the flawed but beautiful essence of humanity, sensuality, grief, love, and collective memory. My favorite read in a long time.
March 27, 2020
Thank you to Muswell Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
Golnoosh Nour's Ministry of Guidance is rousing collection of young, queer love stories set primarily in the Persian community in Tehran. The fully fleshed out characters are titillating, heartbreaking and exciting. This collection speaks to the larger collective, asking what does it mean to be a Muslim and in love? What is a 'bad hejabi'? Why are there so many rules and regulations around who a Muslim can love and how does that play out in the larger society? Well worth the time!
Golnoosh Nour's Ministry of Guidance is rousing collection of young, queer love stories set primarily in the Persian community in Tehran. The fully fleshed out characters are titillating, heartbreaking and exciting. This collection speaks to the larger collective, asking what does it mean to be a Muslim and in love? What is a 'bad hejabi'? Why are there so many rules and regulations around who a Muslim can love and how does that play out in the larger society? Well worth the time!
December 10, 2024
Spent a pleasant Sunday reading The Ministry of Guidance and other stories by Golnoosh Nour. A collection of short stories about the contemporary Iranian LGBTQA+ community based in Tehran and European cities. These stories grapple with themes of queer identities, sexual exploration, desire and passion, love and heartbreak as well as cultural identities as young Iranians grapple with the intersection of a global cultural existence against their historical and religious identities.
Some of my favorite stories are An Evening of Martyrdom, Caspian, Spoilt, and Tehran Yaoi. Absolutely love the little Farsi glossary at the end of the book which makes me want to learn the language with renewed interest. I love the profuse cultural nuggets throughout the book. The references to Tehran's neighborhoods and street names, the nightlife (look it up if you are unaware of this), the references to music, eyeliners (and eyeshadows, love it!), Farsi colloquial words, and references to Iranian writers and poets like Sadegh Hedayat (downloaded his book finally yesterday), Sohrab Sepehri, Forough Farrokhzad, and Ahmad Shamloo.
The book is a fenjan of quiet delight.
Some of my favorite stories are An Evening of Martyrdom, Caspian, Spoilt, and Tehran Yaoi. Absolutely love the little Farsi glossary at the end of the book which makes me want to learn the language with renewed interest. I love the profuse cultural nuggets throughout the book. The references to Tehran's neighborhoods and street names, the nightlife (look it up if you are unaware of this), the references to music, eyeliners (and eyeshadows, love it!), Farsi colloquial words, and references to Iranian writers and poets like Sadegh Hedayat (downloaded his book finally yesterday), Sohrab Sepehri, Forough Farrokhzad, and Ahmad Shamloo.
The book is a fenjan of quiet delight.
November 12, 2022
This is a collection of short stories about young LGBTQ+ individuals in Iran and Europe.
It is a bold collection with sharply drawn characters who often must face the question of whether to stay in Iran--a country that they seem to love in spite of everything--or leave to try to be their authentic selves.
What struck me was how free many of these characters are but only behind closed doors. Sex, drugs, forbidden music, is all available, but only in a clandestine way. In addition, often the dearest hope of the parents is that their children get away and go to a "western" university. The parents surely know that the children won't return, but like most parents, they want a better life for their children.
Written in shades of gray, rather than black and white, condemning the men and women who use religion to keep people in line, this is a powerful collection by a writer who is new to me.
It is a bold collection with sharply drawn characters who often must face the question of whether to stay in Iran--a country that they seem to love in spite of everything--or leave to try to be their authentic selves.
What struck me was how free many of these characters are but only behind closed doors. Sex, drugs, forbidden music, is all available, but only in a clandestine way. In addition, often the dearest hope of the parents is that their children get away and go to a "western" university. The parents surely know that the children won't return, but like most parents, they want a better life for their children.
Written in shades of gray, rather than black and white, condemning the men and women who use religion to keep people in line, this is a powerful collection by a writer who is new to me.
March 23, 2021
Golnoosh Nour, formerly Sogol Sur, is--simply put--an important writer. With 'Ministry of Guidance' she offers an intimate insight into the myriad creative and sexual obsessions present among the young Persian community of Tehran. The longing to become a writer, the desire to break free and find community are beautifully explored in a crisp, yet nuanced style - both desolate and inspiring. The future of literature, really.
May 27, 2025
((Levy queer book club read))
This book had so much potential but sadly completely failed to deliver. The flow of the short story collection was lacking, characters blurred together and a lot of the writing felt very unoriginal. It’s only been a fortnight since I finished this but I already feel like I’d struggle to retell any of the stories! I think it would have really benefited from a better mix of characters with different perspectives. 2.5 stars
This book had so much potential but sadly completely failed to deliver. The flow of the short story collection was lacking, characters blurred together and a lot of the writing felt very unoriginal. It’s only been a fortnight since I finished this but I already feel like I’d struggle to retell any of the stories! I think it would have really benefited from a better mix of characters with different perspectives. 2.5 stars
February 7, 2021
The style isn't really for me, I can never get my head around more graphic sexual content. However, covering sexuality so candidly is so rare and I have yet to tire of hearing a woman's perspective when generic white European men exoticise them. I think it's probably one of those books I wish I could have read when I was younger and I would have got more out of it.
June 23, 2023
Beautiful and lyrical with some really engaging short stories...if they stood alone. As a collection though I found it highly repetitive. Variations on a theme where key characters were uniformly queer, privileged, hardworking, very focused on sex, and in their twenties. Great on their own, not so much together.
May 12, 2024
What a treat! I just happened across “The Ministry of Guidance” while looking for another author in the “n’s”. I have never read LGBTQ fiction before. I truly enjoyed the passion Nour expresses in her characters’ minds. The forbidden nature of such love in their homeland is sobering and saddening. A very good read for me.
September 19, 2020
I’m so glad I stumbled across this short story collection. Focused on the lives of LGBTQ Iranians in both Iran and Europe, it offers insights into Iranian society and culture unlike any other fiction I’ve read.
November 22, 2020
A deeply affecting set of short stories. I'd give it five stars just for the perspective of queer identity in Iran, or for the so familiar reflections on being an emigrant in Europe, but together this is just stunning.
December 29, 2020
Fascinating opening stories which deal with tension between religious devotion and sexuality. The stories, unfortunately, become tedious as even in intimacy things feel like commodities as the protagonists 'saunter' towards the 'painful beauty' of their lover in just about all the stories. Despite intrigue of Iran, just felt too much focused on superficial things (or maybe I'm just jealous).
March 20, 2022
This collection of short stories is definitely worth reading. I love how unapologetically queer the stories are and how raw, passionate and honest they feel too. It shows lots of different sides to Iran and all of the characters are fully formed and complex. I absolutely loved it!
May 26, 2025
Enjoyable, but sometimes a bit repetitive. I really resonated with “Caspian” and “Acid”. On the other hand, the stereotyping (and references to Pushkin?) in “Transit” annoyed me, especially in contrast to “Acid” and its discussion of cultural understanding etc.
July 31, 2022
Oh, this collection, what do I even say about it. I think all I should say is that it is extremely important and enlightening. Everyone should devour it.
Read
August 10, 2022Dnf
December 26, 2022
Loved the book. While reading, I was happily surprised with author’s great knowledge about everyday life and deep understanding of history. Highly recommend this book.
January 16, 2024
Prachtige bundel. Alle verhalen zijn de moeite, maar mijn favoriet is toch "Acid".
December 15, 2024
Just wonderful. I’m going to listen to it again at some point.
April 20, 2025
refreshing to read about queer iranians, both in iran and abroad. nour writes in a way that reflects her love for her homeland and the complicated feelings associated with being far from it.
February 2, 2026
In nem Tag gelesen hehe Fand die Geschichten aber irgendwie ein wenig repetetiv!
February 11, 2026
‘The Ministry of Guidance’ will always bring me joy. These short stories were my introduction into the beautiful world of Persian/queer literature.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews