In the late 1980s Sirous Houshmand found himself in the confines of Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, a political prisoner facing a future where survival seemed unlikely. Thousands were killed in mass executions in 1988, including many of Houshmand’s closest prison friends. These memories would shape his life for years to come.

The Darkest Night Brings Longer Days is Houshmand’s eyewitness testimony of tumultuous times and of living in two dissimilar countries. Born in Iran, Houshmand grew up in the United States. Following graduate studies and partly driven by the political fervour of the 1960s – the war in Vietnam, the Kent State shootings, the drift towards a consumerist society and conformist pressures – he returned home. There he was a follower of the revolution, worked as a medical aide in the Iran–Iraq War, and was eventually imprisoned in a widespread assault against the opposition. Houshmand shares the brutal realities of incarceration, prompting reflection on today’s political prisoners and asylum seekers while offering insight into the differences and similarities between the United States and Iran, enhancing our understanding of their complex relationship today.

After the horrific executions of his friends, Houshmand vowed to honour their sacrifice. In The Darkest Night Brings Longer Days he brings their passionate aspirations for social and economic justice to the fore, and reminding us that hope is a powerful force.