Terence WardTerence Ward is the author of the acclaimed memoir Searching for Hassan, which recounts the story of he and his family's return to Iran after an absence of more than 25 years. The film rights were purchased by James Ivory and the screenplay is being written in Tehran by Kambouzieh Partovi, with the film to be directed by Bahman Gobadi. Terence recently wrote to tell us that, "They are taking gamble, but they really believe that the film could 'make history' by presenting a different face of the extraordinary people in Iran...who are so far removed from the lunatic politicians. In fact, everyone now agrees that Bush and Ahmedinejad are two heads of the same coin."

Searching for Hassan is the wondrous and touching story of the Wards' quixotic journey, ultimately rewarded by an emotional reunion with their lost friend. They travel into an unimaginably rich Persian past, to the very origins of civilization, and across the landscape of contemporary Iran, a surreal kaleidoscope of ancient traditions and Western pop culture. Ward creates a vivid portrait of Islam's unique imprint and explores the deep conflicts between Iran and its Arab neighbors, anticipating the new "Great Game" now being played out in central Asia. Ward's keen knowledge of Iranian culture and history, infused with the urgency of his personal journey, reveals a country that is both wildly alien and inextricably linked to the American imagination.

Terry was born in Boulder, Colorado, and spent his childhood in Saudi Arabia and Iran. He speaks Arabic, Italian, Greek, Indonesian, and Farsi and has been a management consultant advising corporations and governments in the Islamic world. He divides his time between Florence, Italy and New York. Recently he spoke in Rome with Israeli novelist A. B. Yehoshua on "Multi-culturalism and Literature in the Global Conflict."