The Uncaged Sky: My 804 Days in an Iranian Prison
2022 memoir by Kylie Moore-Gilbert
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The Uncaged Sky: My 804 Days in an Iranian Prison is a 2022 memoir by Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian academic who was detained in Iran from 2018 to 2020. The book recounts her arrest, imprisonment, and eventual release, while also providing insight into the Iranian prison system.[1] It was published in 2022 by Ultimo Press[2] in Australia and the UK and in 2023 by Urano World in the US.[3]
Background
In September 2018, Kylie Moore-Gilbert was arrested at Tehran Airport by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. She was subsequently tried on espionage charges in a rushed process and sentenced to ten years in prison. She was imprisoned in Evin Prison (including solitary confinement) and later in the notorious Gharchak (Qarchak) Women's Prison.[4]
On 25 November 2020, Moore-Gilbert was freed in a prisoner exchange with three Iranian nationals sentenced in Thailand for their involvement in the 2012 Bangkok bombings.[5] Since her release, Moore-Gilbert has advocated to secure the release of other Iranian political prisoners.[6]
Content
The book follows Moore-Gilbert's life immediately before her arrest, her ordeal in prison, and her return home.[7] In the epilogue, she reflects on her experience and broader issues: she likens Iran to "an open-air prison of 84 million people" and calls for advocacy for other unjustly imprisoned individuals.[7]
Reception
The book was launched at The Wheeler Centre[8] and was shortlisted for the 2022 Age Book of the Year[9] and for the 2023 Victorian Premier's Prize for Nonfiction.[10]