A memoir of revolution and hope

Iran Awakening

Fascinating autobiography by the first Muslim woman, and the first Iranian, to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Ebadi's inspiring memoir offers a first-hand look at her remarkable life

One of the most remarkable resistance heroines of our dangerous times

The riveting story of an amazing and very brave woman living through some quite turbulent times. And she emerges with head unbowed

One of the staunchest advocates for human rights in her country and beyond, Ms Ebadi, herself a devout Muslim, represents hope for many in Muslim societies that Islam and democracy are indeed compatible

Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran

Born in 1947, Shirin Ebadi trained in law, obtained a doctorate from Tehran University and served as a judge from March 1969 - the first woman ever to do so in Iran. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in February 1979 she, and other female judges, were dismissed from their posts and given clerical duties (in Ebadi's case, in the very court she had presided over). She resigned in protest and was, in effect, housebound for many years until finally, in 1992, she succeeded in obtaining a lawyer's license and setting up her own practice. She then represented various high-profile cases  of political victims, journalists, child custody cases and others until she was forced to live in exile in London.

In this remarkable book, Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights lawyer and activist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, tells her extraordinary life story. 
 
Dr Ebadi is a tireless voice for reform in her native Iran, where she argues for a new interpretation of Sharia law in harmony with vital human rights such as democracy, equality before the law, religious freedom and freedom of speech. She is known for defending dissident figures, and for the establishment of a number of non-profit grassroots organisations dedicated to human rights. In 2003 she became the first Muslim woman, and the first Iranian, to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 
 
She chronicles her childhood and upbringing before the Iranian Revolution, her education and student years at the University of Tehran, her marriage and its challenges, her religious faith, and her life as a mother and as an advocate for the oppressed. As a human rights campaigner, in particular for women, children and political prisoners in Iran, her autobiography is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the life story and beliefs of a courageous and unusual woman, as well as those interested in current events (especially those of the Middle East), and those who want to know the truth about the position of women in a Muslim society.

Shirin Ebadi

Fascinating…[shows how] Dr Shirin Ebadi has been affected positively and negatively by her Nobel prize…A must read

Powerful and sometimes shocking…[Ebadi], who is an emblem of her country…has paid a high price

A force of nature in and out of the courtroom. Shirin Ebadi is a one-woman human-rights machine….formidable

It is Shirin Ebadi’s unbending will that explains how she has become the conscience of the Islamic Republic

Shirin Ebadi writes of exile hauntingly and speaks of Iran, her homeland, as the poets do. Ebadi is unafraid of addressing the personal as well as the political and does both fiercely, with introspection and fire.

FATIMA BHUTTO, author of The Shadow of the Crescent Moon

Ebadi's courage and strength of character are evident throughout this engrossing text, which illuminates the power the few have had over the many, particularly the women and children of Iran. The captivating and candid story of a woman who took on the Iranian government and survived, despite every attempt to make her fail

[Ebadi] has come forward with professional force and unflagging courage, and she has defied any danger to her own safety. She is truly a woman of the people!

OLE DANBOLT MJOS, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee

A memoir of daring and human rights activism

Ebadi's honest assessment of her ongoing sacrifices and those of her compatriots

My Fight For Human Rights in Iran

'POWERFUL AND SOMETIMES SHOCKING ...' SUNDAY TIMES 
 
In this powerful book, Dr Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights lawyer and activist, tells of her fight for reform inside Iran, and the devastating backlash she faced after winning the Nobel Peace Prize. 
 
Having fought tirelessly for democracy, equality before the law and freedom of speech, Ebadi became a global voice of inspiration. Yet, inside her own country, her life has been plagued by surveillance, intimidation and violence. 
 
Until We Are Free tells shocking stories of how the Iranian authorities eventually forced her into exile. Her sister and daughter were detained, her husband was enmeshed in an espionage plot with another woman, her Nobel medal was stolen from her safety deposit box, and her offices in Tehran were ransacked. 
 
An illuminating depiction of life in Iran today as well as the account of Ebadi's personal struggle to uphold her work and keep her family together, Until We Are Free is ultimately a work of hope and perseverance under circumstances of exceptional difficulty.

Shirin Ebadi

Praise for Until We Are Free

Fascinating…[shows how] Dr Shirin Ebadi has been affected positively and negatively by her Nobel prize…A must read

Powerful and sometimes shocking…[Ebadi], who is an emblem of her country…has paid a high price

Compelling

Fascinating…[shows how] Dr Shirin Ebadi has been affected positively and negatively by her Nobel prize…A must read

Powerful and sometimes shocking…[Ebadi], who is an emblem of her country…has paid a high price

Compelling

Fascinating…[shows how] Dr Shirin Ebadi has been affected positively and negatively by her Nobel prize…A must read

Powerful and sometimes shocking…[Ebadi], who is an emblem of her country…has paid a high price

Compelling

Books by Shirin Ebadi

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