Kalimát Press was founded in 1978 by Anthony A. Lee and Payam Afsharian, Bahá’ís living in the Los Angeles area. It is a small, privately owned publishing company which is exclusively oriented towards the publication of books and other materials on the Bahá’í Faith.
Kalimát has been especially interested in the publication of books for Bahá’í children, materials on Bahá’í history, translations from Persian, original Bahá’í scholarship, and essays on the relevance of Bahá’í teachings to contemporary social issues.
Since 1978, Kalimát Press has published over one hundred titles. These include the scholarly series Studies in the Bábí and Bahá’í Religions. The twenty-four volumes of this series have included essays on history, theology, poetry, and other academic topics. These include essays on the Bahá’í Faith in America, in Europe, in India, and in other parts of the world.
Kalimát Press now publishes only one or two books per year. Its intention is to ensure the continued production of serious Bahá’í books which will enrich and diversify the range of Bahá’í literature available in English, particularly regarding Bahá’í history.
Kalimát's Bahá’í Holy Day series are intended to provide local Bahá’í communities with reference materials for important Bahá’í anniversaries. The titles include: The Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, Days of Ridván, The Declaration of the Báb, Twin Holy Days, Naw-Rúz: New Day, The Passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and The Martyrdom of the Báb.
In 2005 the National Spiritual Assemblies of the United States and Canada asked Local Spiritual Assemblies not to distribute books from the publisher due to concerns at their editorial policy, but the Universal House of Justice has confirmed that individuals are free to purchase any books from the publisher.[1]
Bahá’í Titles Published by Kalimát[edit]
- The Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh
- The Cornerstone
- Days of Ridván
- The Declaration of the Báb
- Naw-Rúz: New Day
- The Martyrdom of the Báb
- The New Gospel
- The Passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
- The Proud Helper
- Religion and Relevance
- The Scottish Visitors
- Twin Holy Days
- The Unfriendly Governor
