Printable version

Marina Nemat's Prisoner of Tehran to compete in Canada Reads: True Stories 2012

TORONTO, November 23, 2011 - Prisoner of Tehran, the international bestselling memoir by Marina Nemat, has been chosen as one of five books to compete in CANADA READS 2012, the CBC's annual "battle of the books". Announced this morning by host Jian Ghomeshi on CBC's Q, Prisoner of Tehran will be defended by panelist Arlene Dickenson of CBC's Dragons' Den. The panelists and authors will meet today at noon EST at a public event in the CBC Broadcasting Centre in Toronto, live-streamed on CBC Books.

First published in 2007 by Penguin Canada, Prisoner of Tehran chronicles the brutal horrors faced by the author in her youth, when she was arrested at the age of sixteen on false charges by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and taken to Evin, Iran's most notorious prison. Trapped as a political prisoner, she was brutally tortured and sentenced to death, until rescued by one of her interrogators - a guard who fell in love with her. Her eventual release from prison and ultimately her escape to Canada in 1991 is dramatically documented in the book.

Internationally praised and lauded as "an act of bravery" by The Globe and Mail, Prisoner of Tehran is the uplifting and powerful story of Marina's own survival against unthinkable odds. Publishers Weekly called Marina "a voice for the untold scores silenced by Iran's revolution." Elegantly written, it is the incredible account of one woman's own battle to save herself and her family from a brutal and repressive regime.

 "We are enormously proud to be the originating publisher of Prisoner of Tehran," says Penguin Publishing Director Diane Turbide, "and the publisher of the extraordinary Marina Nemat, who continues to speak for those who suffer at the hands of oppressive regimes. We are thrilled that Marina's book will now reach many more Canadians by virtue of this great debate."

Organized by the CBC, CANADA READS is the annual "battle of the books" competition that takes place in February over the course of four hour-long debates. Airing live on CBC Radio One from February 6-9 in 2012, the shows will be live-streamed on CBC Books as well. In addition, they will air daily on CBC's documentary channel, with recap specials the following weekend on CBC TV and CBC Radio One.

About Marina Nemat

Marina Nemat is the author of the internationally bestselling memoir Prisoner of Tehran, which was published in twenty-six countries and won Italy's Grinzane Cavour Prize. She is also the author of After Tehran: A Life Reclaimed, a memoir chronicling her journey to Canada and her personal struggle to confront her past. She is the recipient of the inaugural Human Dignity Prize from the European Parliament. She was born in Iran and emigrated to Canada in 1991. She lives with her family near Toronto.

About CBC Books

CBC Books features all of CBC's rich literary content across all platforms - audio, video and digital. This one-stop destination for book lovers and writers includes in-depth information on books, exclusive interviews with authors, the latest news stories from the publishing world, book reviews, best-seller lists, discussions and blogs. It's an online meeting place where literary enthusiasts can find the books they want to read, share their writing and connect with other Canadians who love to read and write as much as they do, while keeping up with all of CBC's major literary events and programs such as Canada Reads, the Massey Lectures and Canada Writes. See more at www.cbc.ca/books.