Marjane Satrapi, creator of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian‑born author and illustrator of the autobiographical graphic novel *Persepolis*, died in Paris at the age of 56. Her family said she died “of sadness” a year after the death of her husband, Mattías Ripa.

*Persepolis*, first published in 2000 and translated into more than forty languages, has become a worldwide reference for understanding the Iranian Revolution through the eyes of a child. The black‑and‑white work, praised for its blend of humor and stark depiction of repression, has been compared to Art Spiegelman's *Maus* and was adapted into an award‑winning animated film in 2007. Critics and readers view the book as a symbol of freedom of expression and women's rights, highlighting the imposition of the veil and other restrictions imposed after the 1979 revolution.

Satrapi, born in Rasht in 1969 and raised in a progressive, secular family in Tehran, spent part of her youth in Vienna before moving to France. Her death follows a long career that earned numerous honors, including the Cannes Jury Prize for the film adaptation and the 2024 Princess of Communications and Humanities award. The legacy of *Persepolis* endures as a touchstone for resistance against authoritarianism.