Epic of the Persian Kings - literature, debate and music on offer this Christmas and New Year

As the Fitzwilliam's acclaimed exhibition Epic of the Persian Kings enters its last full month on display, discover a range of Persian-themed events on offer in December.

Next week on Thursday 9 December the Fitzwilliam will be hosting author and journalist Azadeh Moaveni for a lively discussion of the Shahnameh's significance for today's Iranians and the country's modern identity. Moaveni, who has written for Times and the Guardian, is the author of Honeymoon in Tehran, her account of life in the city.

On 11 December the Museum hosts a performance by internationally acclaimed composer and pianist Tara Kamangar. The last of the Museum's popular concert series showcasing Persian music to complement Epic of the Persian Kings, this concert is her final date on her four-week tour of Europe, and will present compositions for piano inspired by the Shahnameh.

The Fitzwilliam will then welcome in the New Year with a special talk on 5 January by writer Nicholas Jubber, who will be discussing his new book Drinking Arak off an Ayatollah's Beard. As heard on BBC R4's Excess Baggage, this recently-published travel memoir charts Jubber's journey through Iran and Afghanistan in the footsteps of the poet Ferdowsi. The evening includes an exclusive chance to see Epic of the Persian Kings out of hours, and a screening of an animation based on the Shahnameh.

Azadeh Moaveni: 9 December 2010, 13.15-14.15 Free but space may be limited. Admission is by token, available from the Courtyard Entrance from 12.45 on the day of the talk.

Tara Kamangar, piano: 11 December 2010, 18.30 £12 / £10 concessions, booking essential via Cambridge City Centre Box Office, Wheeler Street, Cambridge: 01223 357851

Nicholas Jubber: 5 January 2011, 18.30 £8 / £6 concessions including a glass of wine, booking essential: 01223 703520 or dawn.coleman@cambridgeshire.gov.uk .

Find out more about all events at the Museum

1 December 2010