Shahrnush Parsipur

In Kissing the Sword, Iranian writer Shahrnush Parsipur recounts her experiences as a political prisoner in post-revolutionary Iran. Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the new authorities began detaining people associated with opposing political views. Parsipur herself was imprisoned without formal charges, experiencing the fear, uncertainty, and psychological strain of incarceration. Through vivid personal recollections, she describes life inside Iranian prisons, including encounters with fellow prisoners, interrogations, ideological disputes, and the harsh treatment of detainees. Her memoir also explores the restrictions imposed on women, particularly debates surrounding religious authority, dress, and individual autonomy. Combining painful memories with moments of dark humour and reflection, Parsipur examines the relationship between political power and personal freedom. The book is both a record of her own experiences and a broader meditation on censorship, resistance, and the resilience required to preserve one’s voice under repression.

What does it mean to remain free in a place designed to take away your freedom? In this unflinching memoir, Iranian writer Shahrnush Parsipur recounts her experiences of imprisonment under both the Shah’s regime and the Islamic Republic. Arrested four times, including a period of nearly five years in prison without formal charges, she witnesses the fear, cruelty, and ideological divisions that shape life behind bars. Yet her account is not simply a record of suffering. With remarkable candour, irony, and unexpected humour, Parsipur reflects on the absurdities of political repression, the lives of fellow prisoners, and her own struggle to understand the forces transforming her country. Combining personal testimony with sharp social observation, Prison Memoir offers a powerful portrait of a woman who refuses to surrender her independence of thought, even when the state attempts to silence her.