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Together We Read UK Invites Readers to Discover “The Persians” by Sanam Mahloudji During Country-wide Book Club New

Together We Read UK Invites Readers to Discover “The Persians” by Sanam Mahloudji During Country-wide Book Club

Discover the witty and profound debut during the two week digital book club

CLEVELAND – 21 October 2025 – Public libraries across the United Kingdom are joining together to celebrate the next Together We Read UK digital book club selection: The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji. From 21 October to 4 November, readers can borrow the ebook and audiobook of The Persians through participating libraries using Libby, the library reading app. The ebook and audiobook are free with no waitlists or holds with a valid library card.

Shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction, The Persians is a darkly funny, life-affirming debut that follows five women from a once-illustrious Iranian family as they navigate revolutions both personal and political. Once “somebodies” in Iran, the Valiats find themselves “nobodies” in America—yet their tangled relationships, enduring pride, and fierce love reveal the power and complexity of family.

The Persians came from my desire to tell the story of a unique Iranian-American family in all its absurdities and contradictions,” said Mahloudji. “Each character in The Persians is on a journey to understand who she has been and who she wants to be. She must decide whether to free herself of old myths and whether there is a new future out there for her and possibly the family as a whole.”

Together We Read is a digital book club that connects readers across the country with the same book at the same time, creating a nationwide conversation through public libraries. The Persians ebook and audiobook are published by HarperCollins. Readers can join the discussion online and access a reader’s guide and exclusive author letter during the two-week event at www.togetherweread.com/uk/.

About OverDrive

OverDrive is a mission-based company that supports libraries and schools worldwide. Named a Certified B Corp in 2017, OverDrive serves more than 87,000 libraries and schools in 115 countries with the industry’s largest digital catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, video, and other content. OverDrive empowers libraries and schools by expanding access for all through tireless industry advocacy and consistent innovation. Award-winning apps and services include the Libby library reading app, the Sora student reading platform, Kanopy, the leading video streaming app for libraries and colleges, and TeachingBooks, which offers one of the largest catalogs of supplemental materials that enhance literacy outcomes. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. www.overdrive.com

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