The Tehran-born queer artist and film-maker Navid Sinaki moved to the US with his family during the Iran-Iraq war. In a recent interview he mused: “What would love look like if I didn’t leave Iran? How would I evade death in a country that criminalises homosexuality but somehow still funds sex-reassignment surgery as a solution?” His unflinching and bold debut explores the chilling reality for his gay compatriots in Iran. As one character remarks: “Strange government. Could kill you for being gay, but will foot the bill if you agree to a sex change.”
Anjir and Zal, friends since childhood, are now covert lovers. Though Zal is married, the pair imagine a different future. If Zal’s wife was out of the way, Anjir could undergo surgery to become a trans woman, allowing them to live together without the constant threat of exposure.
After a vicious homophobic beating, Zal disappears, leaving Anjir a cryptic message. Desperate to find his lover and decipher the note’s meaning, Anjir embarks on a quest that takes him through the city’s queer underground clubs. The stakes are raised when he realises he is being followed by a mysterious man.
Threaded throughout Medusa of the Roses are references to old Hollywood films – The Postman Always Rings Twice is particularly relevant – as well as allusions to Persian folklore and classical mythology. Anjir identifies with Tiresias, who was changed into a woman after seeing two serpents mating, and is “bewitched” by Medusa and her snake hair.
Violence permeates the novel, mirroring the brutal reality of an authoritarian regime. Anjir’s aunt was stoned to death for adultery; another gay man was whipped and tortured in prison: “One hundred lashes,” he tells Anjir. “Sounds so old world. But they counted out every single strike.”
The wry humour and sexual explicitness in this erotic noir tale occasionally jar, but the loneliness of having to suppress your desire and identity is powerfully conveyed.
• Medusa of the Roses by Navid Sinaki is published by Serpent’s Tail (£14.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply
