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The Uncaged Sky: My 804 Days in an Iranian Prison

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

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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

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ↑ Ganguly, Arushi. "Book Review: The Uncaged Sky: My 804 Days in an Iranian Prison".
  2. ↑ "Kylie Moore-Gilbert". Ultimo Press. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  3. ↑ "Urano World". uranoworld.com. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  4. ↑ Vasefi, Saba; Doherty, Ben (2020-07-29). "Kylie Moore-Gilbert: academic 'terrified' and suffering inside Iran's Qarchak women's prison". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  5. ↑ "What we know about three Iranian men released from prison to secure Kylie Moore-Gilbert's freedom". ABC News. 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  6. ↑ "Uncaged Sky: How a woman survived 804 days in an Iranian prison - review". The Jerusalem Post. 2022-09-30. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  7. 1 2 Trollope, Anthony (2012-03-08), "Chapter 77 the travellers return home", Can You Forgive Her?, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/owc/9780199578177.003.0080, ISBN 978-0-19-957817-7, retrieved 2025-11-16
  8. ↑ Kylie Moore-Gilbert: The Uncaged Sky, 29 March 2022, retrieved 2023-09-08
  9. ↑ "Age Book of the Year 2022 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 2022-08-01. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  10. ↑ "The 2023 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards". The Wheeler Centre. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
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