This issue of Iranian Studies includes four book reviews and eight articles, one of which—by Habib Borjian—was slated for publication in the previous issue but was held back due to delays.

The remaining seven articles range in scope from the study of an eyewitness account of early Mongol rule in Tabriz; to an examination of the myth, image, and legacy of Shah ‘Abbās I; the Bābī-Bahā’ī Revolution; the rise and fall of the statesman, Taymourtash, under the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi; representations of modern life and window-shopping in three cinematic works from the 1950s to mid 1970s set in Tehran; the shaping of postrevolution children in the popular Keyhān-e Bachcheh-hā; and an interrogation of the pedagogical approaches to Persian writing.

I am delighted to report the successful launch of the first Iranian Studies ten-week writing workshop on April 1, 2025. The curriculum was designed by Dr. Farshad Sonboldel, the journal’s deputy editor, to support early career scholars and graduate students as they prepare their research for submission to peer-reviewed English-language journals. We received an overwhelming 182 applications from a diverse pool of scholars based in Iran, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. Although only ten participants could be selected, to accommodate more applicants we launched an open educational resource (OER) mentorship model for twenty-five additional applicants, who were paired with the following mentors: Marie Huber, Claudia Yaghoobi, Niki Akhavan, Laetitia Nanquette, and Aria Fani. Given the level of demand and the success of this program, we hope to plan similar workshops in the future.

I also would like to express my profound gratitude to Dr. Sonboldel for assuming all responsibilities for Iranian Studies while I underwent two surgeries in the spring. His support ensured that the work of the journal could proceed without interruption.