Azizeh Sheibani Essay Prize Winners 2026

We are delighted to announce the winners of the Azizeh Sheibani Essay Prize in Iranian and Persian-speaking World Studies for 2026. Congratulations to these students on their outstanding work, and our thanks for all of the excellent submissions received this year!

Hourmazd Zeini (New) – Undergraduate Award

Essay Title: ‘The puzzle of Ferdowsi’s sources and the origins of the Persian national history tradition’

Jamshid Jamshidi (St Antony's) – Graduate Award

Essay Title: ‘Order Without a Party: Informal Networks and Political Authority in Post-Revolutionary Iran’