Marsha Mehran

Marsha Mehran (; born Mahsa Mehran; 11 November 1977 – April 2014) was an Iranian novelist. Her works include the international bestsellers Pomegranate Soup and Rosewater and Soda Bread (2008).

In their new home, political upheaval, this time associated with the rule of the Argentine junta, forced the family to once more move continents. This time the family moved to America, where in Miami, Mehran pursued, for a decade, her then dream of becoming a concert pianist.

Her second novel, Rosewater and Soda Bread (2008), is a continuation of Pomegranate Soup. It marked the second installment of a series that was cut short by her death in April 2014. The series was to run for seven books; the third, Pistachio Rain, was due for publication in 2014.

Her posthumous novel, The Margaret Thatcher School of Beauty (2014), later titled The Saturday Night School of Beauty, is set in Buenos Aires during the Falklands War and tells the story of a group of individuals who gather once a week to recite poetry and tell tales of what has been.

Adaptations Matador Pictures optioned Pomegranate Soup in 2013 with Kirsten Sheridan slated to write and direct the film.

Personal life Mehran was married to Christopher Collins from County Mayo, Ireland. In 2013, the couple divorced.

Death Mehran was found dead in her rented house in Lecanvey, County Mayo, Ireland, on 30 April 2014, having been dead for about a week. She had lived there as a recluse and had deteriorated mentally, with the house filled with rubbish. She had suffered from long-term inflammatory bowel disease; the autopsy indicated this may have been a factor in her death, though it was not possible to identify the exact cause. Her ashes were sent for resting in Melbourne.