Behrouz Boochani

(born in 1983) – Kurdish writer, journalist, poet and film producer, as well as human rights activist. Together with Iranian filmmaker Arah Kamali Sarvestani, he directed Chauka, Please Tell Us the Time (2017). In No Friend But The Mountains (2018), he shares his memories of the six years he spent in captivity in an Australian-run refugee camp on Manus Island. It is a poignant written account of the dramatic events that the refugees were subjected to, as they received no support from the Australian government and were left to fend for themselves in the camp. The journalist wrote it on his phone while in prison and sent it in parts to his friend every month. The text was translated from Persian into English by Omid Tofighian. In 2019, the judges of Australia's prestigious Victorian Premier's Literary Awards made an exception for Boochani, giving him an award reserved for Australian citizens and residents for the book. He has published numerous articles on the plight of refugees in leading media around the world. He has written for The Guardian, Financial Times and HuffPost. He also won numerous awards and accolades, while Amnesty International has listed him as one of the most inspiring human rights defenders. He was granted refugee status in July 2020, then began his academic career at the University of Canterbury.