AZADî BOOKS is a curatorial publishing initiative working with acclaimed artists to create limited-edition, modern children’s books with a socially conscious and global approach to Iranian cultures and experiences. 

In November 2025, AZADî BOOKS presents Layla’s Journey, the second book in the series, from acclaimed artists Pouya Afshar and Neda Moridpour. Our inaugural project was Woman! Life! Freedom! A Children's Guide to the Free Iran Movement and released in September 2023. 

Roya Zahra Rastegar, PhD. is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and teacher. She is the co-founder of the Iranian Diaspora Collective 501(c)(3), an organization committed to amplifying the voices of the youth in Iran who are fighting to free their country. Professor Rastegar teaches film history, theory, and practice. She was formerly a Postdoctoral Fellow at Bryn Mawr College and she continues to teach at UCLA. She received her PhD in the History of Consciousness under the guidance of freedom fighter Angela Y. Davis.