Kiyash Monsef

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-11-01

Kiyash Monsef is an author and screenwriter from northern California. Once There Was, published by Simon & Schuster Children's Books in May 2023, is his debut novel. Before writing it he spent about twenty years working in media, including producing Emmy-nominated television and writing short stories, comics and games. The novel follows Marjan, a fifteen-year-old Iranian-American girl who inherits her late father's veterinary clinic and learns that he secretly cared for mythical creatures. Its title comes from the Farsi phrase used to open fairy tales, and short fables appear between the main chapters, drawing on Persian storytelling and mythology. Monsef has said the book is about empathy toward all creatures and the hidden burdens people carry. He has said he plans to return to this world, and a film adaptation is reportedly in development at Imagine Entertainment. His sequel, Bird of a Thousand Stories, appeared in February 2025.

Universe(s)

Books

• Once There Was (2023) · Once There Was Core Canon
• Bird of a Thousand Stories (2025) · Once There Was Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 2 books
• Award recognitions across all universes: 0 (None recorded)

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