My Life as a Traitor
Encyclopedia
My Life as a Traitor is a 2007
biography and memoir, written by Zarah Ghahramani
and Robert Hillman. The book documents the life of Ghahramani, including her early childhood. In 2001, Ghahramani was arrested for citing crimes against the Islamic Republic of Iran and sent to serve a sentence in Evin Prison
; this is one of the main focuses throughout the book, as well as the prison conditions and analysing the modern-world Middle East
. The book was first published on December 26, 2006 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
. The book won the award for Australian Small Publisher of the Year for 2006
.
and put into this prison, where she was tortured and beaten. When in Prison, she was subject to not only beatings, but psychological torture, only retaining her sanity via scratching messages to fellow prisoners. She is kept in the prison for almost one month, and is released after being driven to a distant desert outside of Tehran, where, at the time, she was unsure of her fate and whether or not she would be executed or released.
commented that "she [Ghahramani] recounts her beatings with dignified anger in this vivid, sometimes horrifying memoir, My Life as a Traitor mixing scenes from prison with sensual memories of her life before what her father called the regime of the primitives." Firoozeh Dumas
comments that the book is "a compelling story...a must read for anyone interested in understanding the complex nation that is Iran." The Sunday Telegraph
wrote that the book is "Beautifully written, it's horrifying, enlightening and, ultimately, uplifting." The book was shortlisted for the 2008 Prime Minister's Literary Awards
.
2007 in literature
The year 2007 in literature involves some significant new books.-Events:*November 19 - First Kindle e-book reader released.*December 11 - Terry Pratchett informs fans on-line that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease.-Literature:...
biography and memoir, written by Zarah Ghahramani
Zarah Ghahramani
Zarah Ghahramani is an Iranian-born author living in Australia who wrote My Life as a Traitor, an award-winning memoir of her imprisonment and torture in Evin Prison.- Life :...
and Robert Hillman. The book documents the life of Ghahramani, including her early childhood. In 2001, Ghahramani was arrested for citing crimes against the Islamic Republic of Iran and sent to serve a sentence in Evin Prison
Evin Prison
Evin House of Detention is a prison in Iran, located in Evin, northwestern Tehran. It is noted for its political prisoners' wing, where prisoners have been held both before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
; this is one of the main focuses throughout the book, as well as the prison conditions and analysing the modern-world Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The book was first published on December 26, 2006 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Farrar, Straus and Giroux is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger W. Straus, Jr. and John C. Farrar. Known primarily as Farrar, Straus in its first decade of existence, the company was renamed several times, including Farrar, Straus and Young and Farrar, Straus and Cudahy...
. The book won the award for Australian Small Publisher of the Year for 2006
2006 in literature
The year 2006 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Literature:*Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun*Chris Adrian - The Children's Hospital *Martin Amis - House of Meetings...
.
Plot
The biography focuses on analysing the life of the author, Zarah Ghahramani and her imprisonment in the infamous Evin Prison. After taking part in student demonstrations at Tehran University, Ghahramani was taken, by police, from the streets of TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
and put into this prison, where she was tortured and beaten. When in Prison, she was subject to not only beatings, but psychological torture, only retaining her sanity via scratching messages to fellow prisoners. She is kept in the prison for almost one month, and is released after being driven to a distant desert outside of Tehran, where, at the time, she was unsure of her fate and whether or not she would be executed or released.
Reception
Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
commented that "she [Ghahramani] recounts her beatings with dignified anger in this vivid, sometimes horrifying memoir, My Life as a Traitor mixing scenes from prison with sensual memories of her life before what her father called the regime of the primitives." Firoozeh Dumas
Firoozeh Dumas
Firoozeh Dumas is an Iranian-American writer.Dumas began to write and submit essays to obtain money to go toward college....
comments that the book is "a compelling story...a must read for anyone interested in understanding the complex nation that is Iran." The Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
wrote that the book is "Beautifully written, it's horrifying, enlightening and, ultimately, uplifting." The book was shortlisted for the 2008 Prime Minister's Literary Awards
Prime Minister's Literary Awards
The Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards were announced at the end of 2007 by the incoming Rudd Ministry following the 2007 election. They are administered by the Minister for the Arts....
.