Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Shares Inspiring Prison Sewing Journey at Hay Festival
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian charity worker, has opened up about how crafting became her beacon of hope during six years in an Iranian prison. At the Hay Festival, she shared how sewing and crafting gave her purpose and a way to cope, not just for herself but also for other women held with her.
She wasn’t exactly a confident seamstress before prison. But in those harsh conditions, creating something from scraps of fabric became a lifeline.
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Crafting as a Lifeline in Prison
Iranian authorities detained Zaghari-Ratcliffe in April 2016, using her as a diplomatic pawn against the UK. In the middle of all that, she found solace in sewing.
Getting fabric into prison wasn’t simple. She said, “fabrics were not allowed in prison,” but she managed to get special written permission for her Liberty London fabrics.
Her husband Richard really went above and beyond to get those fabrics to her. Once she had them, she shared the pieces with fellow prisoners, who treasured each “piece of liberty.”
The Psychological Escape Through Creativity
Prison life strips everything down to basics, but people still find ways to hold on to their identity. Zaghari-Ratcliffe said crafting let them “travel to the world they might be in one day or the world they used to be in.”
That little bit of mental escape made a huge difference. It’s hard to overstate how much it helped them break free, at least in their minds.
Creating a Sense of Normalcy
She made clothes for her daughter Gabriella and neckerchiefs for other women, even though she couldn’t wear matching dresses with Gabriella due to strict rules in Iran. It was a way to stay connected to her daughter and cling to something normal in a world that felt anything but.
Crafting During Difficult Times
Even after her release, crafting stayed with Zaghari-Ratcliffe. When news broke about US and Israel strikes on Iran, she coped by sewing for five days straight. “The only thing I could do was sew. That was my safe space.”
Connecting with Liberty London
Liberty London reached out to her after she came home, inviting her to the store and naming fabric lines after her and her daughter. This led to a partnership where she helped design a fabric line for Liberty London and the Imperial War Museum, drawing on her experiences to highlight creativity during conflict.
The Impact of Crafting on Prisoners
The fabrics Zaghari-Ratcliffe helped design reflect her prison life, from the monotony to the slivers of sky she’d glimpse on short walks. Liberty London is donating these fabrics to prisoners so they can craft too.
She said, “The moment these prisoners receive these fabrics into their hands when they have no liberty, it’s how I felt.”
Liberty in Everyday Life
Back home, Zaghari-Ratcliffe made a quilt with fabrics that reminded her of prison. That quilt connects her to a world she’s torn about—part of her misses it, part of her never wants to go back.
“When I came back, it reminded me of the fact that liberty is in every single small thing we have in life.”
The Simple Joys of Freedom
For Zaghari-Ratcliffe, liberty hides in the little things. Freedom is waking up and enjoying a long, hot shower.
She says freedom means drinking endless cups of coffee. It’s the simple act of wandering into a supermarket, no questions asked.
If you want to dig deeper into Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s journey, check out the BBC article.
