British publisher to release Tehran war diaries for global readers
British independent publisher NOP is set to release ‘When the Sparrows Grow Anxious’ (diaries from Tehran at war), a firsthand account by Iranian writer and researcher Ali Asghar Seidabadi that chronicles daily life in Tehran during the 40-day conflict involving US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Seidabadi began writing the diary on February 28, 2026, and continued through the day after the ceasefire. Originally addressed to an international network of children's and young adult authors, the book combines 50 daily entries with reflections and conversations involving 44 writers and artists from countries including the United States, Britain, Japan and France.
The English-language edition offers an intimate portrait of Tehran as residents navigated uncertainty while preserving the rhythms of everyday life. Through observations, memories and personal reflections, Seidabadi explores how war reshapes time, language, family bonds, friendship, humor, fear and hope.
NOP said the book aligns with its mission of amplifying distinctive voices and overlooked narratives. In a statement, the publisher described the work as a record of “the texture of ordinary life under extraordinary pressure,” allowing readers to witness how people continue to care about “birds, food, jokes, books, neighbors and the weather while history presses against their windows.”
The publisher said it chose the project because it offers a rare, ground-level perspective on a city often discussed internationally but less frequently heard in its own voice. The diary, it added, reaches beyond the boundaries of a single city and conflict to examine what it means to remain human when public events intrude upon private lives.
“The consequences of war are not experienced only in headlines,” NOP said. “They are present in kitchens, streets, silences and the small acts of endurance that sustain daily life.”
The book’s cover draws on an image by IRNA photographer Akbar Tavakoli, while the digital edition features photographs by IRNA contributors and other Iranian photographers.
A Persian-language edition is also scheduled for publication in Iran by Agar Publishing.