Author, Storyteller, and Creative Force Across Literature, Opera, and Culture.
Niloufar Talebi is an author, educator, producer, and multidisciplinary storyteller whose work spans literature, opera, performance, and cultural translation. Her practice is rooted in reinvention—transforming language and lived experience into art that awakens, stirs, and liberates.
Niloufar is the editor and translator of Elegies of the Earth: Selected Poems by Ahmad Shamlou (World Poetry, 2025), a sweeping centennial edition of Iran’s iconic twentieth-century poet of liberty, whose work shaped modern Persian poetry.
Her memoir Self-Portrait in Bloom (l’Aleph, 2019), praised as “a hybrid wonder” (The Rumpus), combines personal narrative with her award-winning translations of Nobel Prize–nominated Iranian poet Ahmad Shamlou. The book inspired the acclaimed opera Abraham in Flames (2019), which she commissioned, produced, presented, and co-created in collaboration with composer Aleksandra Vrebalov and director Roy Rallo.
Niloufar has spoken on stages from TEDxBerkeley to international literary festivals, and she teaches Creativity and Creative Writing at Stanford Continuing Studies. She is the founder of Creative Intelligence, Niloufar Talebi Projects, and The Translation Project, through which she has produced performances, libretti, cultural initiatives, interdisciplinary collaborations, and creative consulting to companies and cultural institutions including the Harvard University Woodberry Poetry Room. Her honors include two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award to Georgia, and residencies with Montalvo Arts Center, Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, Art Omi, and La Maison de Beaumont.
Her other books include the pioneering bilingual anthology, Belonging: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World (North Atlantic Books, 2008), and Vis & I, the translation of Farideh Razi’s 1998 Persian Literature Award “Novel of the Year.”
Her multimedia projects include, ICARUS/RISE, The Plentiful Peach, Fire Angels, Epiphany, and The Persian Rite of Spring.
Whether through writing, performance, or teaching, Niloufar’s work is an invitation to imagine boldly, connect deeply, and transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Distinctions
National Endowment for the Arts Literature Translation Fellowships (2024)
Fulbright U.S. Scholar (Georgia, 2021–2022)
San Francisco Arts Commission Artist Award (2010-present)
National Endowment for the Arts Opera Grant with the Young Women’s Chorus of San Francisco (2018)
California Arts Council Local Impact Award (2017)
New Music USA Opera Grant (2017)
Creative Work Fund (2016)
Northern California Book Award Nomination, Belonging: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World (2008)
PEN American Center / New York State Council on the Arts Anthology Grant (2006)
Willis Barnstone Translation Prize (2006)
American Literary Translators Association Fellowship (2005)
Artist Residencies
Lucas Artist Fellowship, Montalvo Arts Center (2023–2026)
La Maison de Beaumont, France (2021)
American Lyric Theater (2013–2014)
FERUS Festival at The Stone (2014)
San Francisco School of the Arts (2007–2013)
The Ledig House International Writers Residency (2003–2021)
Teaching & Consulting
Stanford Continuing Studies, Creativity and Creative Writing (2023–present)
Harvard University Library, Cultural & Literary Consultant (2023)
Plymouth State University, Department of English (2015–2022)
Hunter College (CUNY), Department of English (2010–2011)
Private clients (2008–present)
Founder of The Translation Project (Leadership)
Praise
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“A cultural worker of the highest order, Niloufar does the bravest work, transforming not only the society from which she comes, but help change the society in which she lives.”
Jack Hirschman, Emeritus Poet Laureate of San Francisco -
“Ms. Talebi endowed these philosophical concepts with human characteristics ... [in] elegant texts woven into four scenes featuring solo live voice.”
The New York Times -
“Thank you for your defense of art in a troubled world.”
David Harrington, Kronos Quartet -
“Excellent course. The course provided real insights into the creative process, both unique to each individual and shared. The instructor was engaging, always positive, and had tremendous breadth and depth of literature and creative writing.”
Stanford Course Evaluations -
“I thought creativity belonged to artists. I was wrong. This course showed me that creativity lives in math, in research, in problem-solving. It helped me stop waiting to be motivated, and start building a sustainable, energized way to approach any challenge.”
Undergraduates @ PSU -
“This workshop felt like the practical training I didn’t know I needed—it built on my law school communication courses but shifted my focus to something new: how the audience actually receives what I’m trying to say. I’d love to go even deeper.”
Legal Interns, Leading National Law Firm -
“Before this course, I didn’t even know I had a creative process—now I not only understand it, I’ve built one that reflects who I am. It’s changed how I study, how I write, how I think. This class didn’t just teach creativity—it taught me how to understand myself.”
Undergraduates @ PSU -
“Niloufar is a treasure—a dynamic, inspiring presence whose creativity and insight left a lasting impact on our dental team and students at the University of the Pacific. Her workshops energized the room, elevated our practice, and reminded us of the human connection at the heart of healthcare. We can’t wait to work with her again!”
Dr. Daniel Nam, DDS -
“I didn’t think I was creative. But through this process, I realized creativity is how I’ve survived, solved problems, changed careers, raised kids, and started over—again and again. I just never had a name for it. This course helped me claim it.”
Undergraduates @ PSU -
“Excellent course. The course provided real insights into the creative process, both unique to each individual and shared. The instructor was engaging, always positive, and had tremendous breadth and depth of literature and creative writing.”
Stanford Course Evaluations -
“This course gave me permission to slow down, to play again, to take my ideas seriously. I used to rush through work. Now I pause, plan, and create with intention. I even started bringing creative thinking into my leadership and team dynamics.”
Undergraduates @ PSU -
“I think Niloufar Talebi was a wonderful instructor. I felt her passion and loved how consistent she was with the structures and systems of her class. I loved that I felt encouraged, pushed, and guided. In previous online courses you don’t always feel that special spark from instructors or presenters. Niloufar truly makes the course materials and the assignments engaging.”
Stanford Course Evaluations -
“This course turned out to be a powerful catalyst for me, not just for writing, but for nurturing my creativity in general. It has sharpened my observational skills, made me more disciplined and motivated, and shown me that there is joy in writing, not just struggle. Through the work we did in this class I learned that what matters most is showing up and putting in the time and effort.”
Stanford Course Evaluations -
“Congratulations on a wonderful and moving performance. You were always engaged with others and the many admirers of your work and the opera, unique in concept and beautiful, both musically and visually. What you’ve managed to accomplish is quite amazing and I’m honored that we were able to host the final two weeks of rehearsals.“
Paul Dresher -
“The oldest art form, storytelling, is on dazzling display in Niloufar Talebi’s electrifying and multidisciplinary wisdom. Niloufar masterfully captures the essence of ancient rituals and myths while infusing them with a thoroughly modern sensibility. The result, The Persian Rite of Spring, is a theatrical performance for all ages that will awaken even the most slumbering soul into a new beginning!”
Maryna Hrushetska, Art Consultant -
“Niloufar Talebi is a gem. She was generous, funny, and inspiring. Every session, she dropped little gems of wisdom on us that hit like bombs of insight. I hung on her every word, and sometimes watched the recorded video to write down exactly what she said. She encouraged us to continue to write, to explore our own themes and stories, and offered great advice on how to do so. She sprinkled us with fairy dust to allow us to write difficult pieces or to explore territory we’ve not explored before. And a bonus: she was extremely punctual and conscious of our time. Please hire her back! I want to take more courses from her! And make this one longer!”
Stanford Course Evaluations -
“...brilliant, transparent translations of Shamlou’s works...soar with poetic subtlety.”
Asterix Journal -
Niloufar Talebi is a master instructor and multidisciplinary artist. I am filled with new guidance, and inspiration. She is professional, punctual, warm, and thoughtful. Her feedback is constructive and leaves you ready to take the next step. She is exceptionally talented at elevating writers.
Stanford Course Evaluations -
“Niloufar’s work with the Woodberry Poetry Room at Harvard was exceptional. She brought deep literary expertise, rigorous research, and an ability to move seamlessly between disciplines—from archival cataloging and translation to literary analysis. Her collaboration with our staff was thoughtful and precise, and her work far exceeded our benchmarks.”
Christina Davis, Curator, Woodberry Poetry Room, Harvard University
Press Highlights
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Dear Niloufar,
We have never met in real life, though I feel, having just finished your Self-Portrait in Bloom, that we have met many times and in many places before. I asked myself, “What’s more intimate than a self-portrait?” Perhaps the answer is nothing, or perhaps the answer is a letter. [Read this review]
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Niloufar Talebi and Aleksandra Vrebalov’s “Abraham in Flames” proved mysteriously irresistible. [Read the article]
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Two impulses led me to compile this list: to resist the forces that stifle the publication and distribution of literature created by Iranians and keep it off the world stage, and to celebrate the books that have reached readers of English. The idea for this “100 Essential Books” list originally came about as I raised these questions to myself: [Read this article]
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You’re an author, memoirist, librettist, translator, and theater artist. What compelled you to create The Persian Rite of Spring: The Story of Nowruz, and did you always imagine it as a stage performance? [Read this interview]