A novel of adventure and hardship set across INDIA
Talking Location With author Garrie Boldsmith – IRAN
26th September 2026
#TalkingLocationWith …. Garrie Boldsmith, author of Iran, We Ran – IRAN
FROM TEHRAN TO SYDNEY – ON A ONE-WAY TICKET.
Iran, We Ran, a work of fiction, primarily follows the lives of two Iranians, previously unknown to each other. One is gay, the other involved in drug trafficking. Both need to flee Iran and need to do so urgently, with their intended destination being Australia. Questions arise whether they would be able to get passports and visas in time. One is dependent upon a Jewish fixer in Tehran, the other upon the parents of a girl he had never met or spoken to and living in Sydney.
Iran, We Ran is written with restraint, empathy and an acute awareness of what it means to leave everything behind. It goes behind migration statistics and political debate
For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with the Middle East. It is relatively small 
compared to Europe, China, Russia and the United States, yet it has a disproportionately high amount of wealth, primarily from oil and gas, and has played a disproportionately prominent role in conflicts since the end of World War II.
I was not born at the time of the creation of the State of Israel (1948) but was old enough to see and read from afar about the Six Day War (1967) and subsequent wars with Israel. I have also followed the rise and brutality in Syria of the Assad regimes (father and son between 1970 – 2024); the Lebanese Civil War (1975 – 1990); the Iran-Iraq War (1980 – 1988) and many other skirmishes, wars and invasions in the region. I have walked the great Mosque of Damascus, the Umayyad Mosque, I have experienced the very different lives of the Christians and the Muslims in Lebanon, I have put a note in a crack in the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
I was also old enough and interested enough to know about the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Images are still etched in my mind of the late Ayatollah Khomeini being greeted by thousands of followers upon his triumphant return to Tehran. Like many revolutions, I considered this one to be just. The wealth and power in Iran were firmly concentrated in the hands of the elites, including foreign oil interests. The Iranian Revolution was well-intentioned but, like others before (and after) it, power and corruption have taken an ugly toll.
When I had the opportunity to go to Iran, it was too good to pass up. I have to some degree drawn on my experiences there in writing Iran, We Ran.
As an avid traveller, one who has visited countries I was often discouraged from visiting, I am well aware of propaganda that exists in all countries, whether they be labelled democratic, socialist, communist, dictatorship or other. I wanted and needed to see Iran for myself. Travelling solo was not an option at the time. My itinerary involved, in part, some acquaintances and, at other times, an official, licensed tour operator.
My first real Iranian experience was on the flight from one of the Gulf States to Tehran. The flight was like all others save that no alcohol was served. As an avid ‘people watcher’, I curiously observed at the boarding gate the number of nicely dressed, nicely made up and stylish women waiting to board. Some 30 – 45 minutes before arrival into Tehran, there was a mad rush, almost a stampede, by women to the toilets. When they returned to their seats, many were wearing a manteau, the long tunic or overcoat worn by Iranian women as part of their modest public attire; some wore a chador, the full-body length garment pulled over the head and closed at the front and otherwise, they just wore a hijab, a head-covering. There was no doubt we were about to land in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
My hotel in Tehran was fine but devoid of some privileges I had, from time to time, enjoyed, such as a swimming pool, a gym and even a sauna. The hotel was rated 5 stars but I personally would rate it about 3.5, maybe 4. It was strange returning to the hotel, after a day of exploring, only to find I could not get an alcoholic drink before turning in for the night.
As I discovered, Tehran is a big city, one with many contradictions. The city has a population of about 9 million but the total metropolitan area has a whopping 16 million. Images in the West tend to show Iran as an austere country. Whilst it may be in many areas, there was no shortage in Tehran of Range Rovers, Mercedes, BMWs and other luxury cars. It was also intriguing to see so many young Iranian women with tape or some sort of bandage across the bridge of their nose. Largely unknown in the West, Iran is a global hub for cosmetic surgery, especially for rhinoplasty (nose jobs). One of the other major contradictions I became aware of was the wide availability of alcohol, which is (supposedly) strictly banned. Businesspeople and professionals appeared to have little difficulty in sourcing it.
Perhaps one of the greatest ironies I noted during my stay in Tehran was in relation to their English language press. Many of their articles, especially the headline ones, used substantially the same language and referred to the same events as Western media did towards Iran but flipped over the same language to apply to the West. ‘Axil of Evil’ was a phrase created by George W Bush in 2002. Iran retaliated in 2004 by adopting the ‘Axis of Resistance.’
Iran is one of the top ten global oil producers. About 50% of the population is under the age of 29. It is also a major user of illicit drugs. I was learning a lot including its magnificent Persian history.
From Tehran, I went by car to Isfahan. Normally, the journey, via the Persian Gulf Freeway, takes about 5 hours. My journey took 10, enabling me to visit several smaller communities en route.
Isfahan was wonderful. It is home to Naqsh-e Jahan Square, otherwise called Meidan Emam, built some 500 years ago and home to the Royal Mosque. It is testimony to Persian life. It is also home to many synagogues, reflecting Jewish life in the city going back some 2,500 years. Whilst I knew that many synagogues still existed in Iran, I was not aware of the extent of tolerance of the Jewish community. Another great contradiction in light of Iran’s charter to eliminate the State of Israel.
My last stop was Shiraz, a beautiful and culturally rich city renowned for its gardens, architecture and poetic heritage. Ordinarily, it takes about 6 hours by road to Shiraz from Isfahan. My journey took longer so I could go and visit Persepolis, a place I often thought was mythical.
My flight out of Iran was from Shiraz to the Gulf State, about a 1.5 hours flight. No sooner had the flight levelled off than there was a mad female rush to the toilets, the women reemerging without all their body coverings.
My travel experiences in Iran reminded me of the many contradictions I became aware of and how difficult it is for those who do not conform to survive.
Garrie Boldsmith
Find the author at www.iranweran.com
Join team TripFiction on Social Media:
Twitter (@TripFiction), Facebook (@TripFiction.Literarywanderlust), YouTube (TripFiction #Literarywanderlust), Instagram (@TripFiction) and Pinterest (@TripFiction) and BlueSky(tripfiction.bsky.social) and Threads (@tripfiction)
Please wait...
