Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe In Conversation With Cathy Newman - Video Recording
Please note: this is a video recording of the sold-out event, NOT a ticket. Upon placing an order, you will receive a confirmation email, and then a second email containing a link to the recording.
On Tuesday 4th February 2025, Fine Cell Work hosted an event with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in conversation with journalist Cathy Newman at St John's Church in Waterloo.
Cathy led a conversation with Nazanin about the 6 years she spent in prison, and how stitching helped her during this challenging time - both in prison and post-release.
Interest in the event was unprecedented, and tickets sold out in record time, so we've made a video recording available for anyone who missed out, or was unable to attend.
You can choose to pay £10, £20 or £50 to access a video recording of the event - all proceeds will be used to support our work with people in prison and post-release.
Please note: this 52-minute recording does not include the audience Q&A part of the event.
If you would like to make an additional donation to support Fine Cell Work's programmes, you can do this at checkout, or here.
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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained while on holiday in Iran in April 2016 and was held hostage there for 6 years. Sewing treasured pieces of fabric helped Nazanin survive her Iranian prison ordeal.
Now she has been released and is back living in the UK, Nazanin still finds solace in sewing. “We eventually leave prison but our story remains,” she said. “Now, even living in freedom, the first place I take refuge when life is tough is my little sewing corner at home.”
Cathy Newman
Journalist and author Cathy Newman is the first female main presenter of Channel 4 News and has recently been named Woman of the Year by Women In Journalism.
Before joining Channel 4 News in 2006, Cathy spent over a decade in Fleet Street, latterly working as political correspondent for the Financial Times. She has presented and appeared on numerous other television programmes and is a presenter on the Times Radio station. She writes regularly for several national newspapers and is the author of multiple books.
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We hope you'll be delighted by your new Fine Cell Work items, but just in case you're not, there are several circumstances in which we will refund your purchase, subject to the item being returned within 30 days of receipt.
Our production process
Each of our products goes on a long and impactful journey before it is ready to be sold. And every one of our items touches the life of at least one prisoner or prison leaver in some way.
Our needlework kits are put together in our prison workshops before being distributed from our London hub to our wonderful volunteers. These inspirational supporters teach people in prison the necessary skills to craft each piece. The completed stitchwork is then returned to us, to ensure it meets our exacting standards, before finally being sent back into a prison to be 'made up', turning it into the final product (e.g. stuffing and adding zips to cushions).
In total, this process can take up to 200 hours and over 70,000 stitches (per piece!)
We know that every single one of our products boosts self-esteem, builds confidence, has a positive impact on a stitcher’s mental health, and gives them the opportunity to transform their lives.
By purchasing a product, you become a part of that journey.
Over 27 years of transformation
Rehabilitating over 8,500 prisoner
Renowned designers
Supported by esteemed designers to create one-of-a-kind, limited edition products
Breaking the cycle
We help break the devastating cycle of reoffending and repeated imprisonment
Support our work
£10 donation
Provides a prisoner with the materials for one tapestry cushion (100 hours of creative activity).
£20 donation
Will enable us to continue providing paid, creative and productive work to even more prisoners around the UK, helping them to build a brighter future.
£50 donation
Sponsors a prisoner to train as a volunteer 'class coordinator', teaching and mentoring other prisoners.
£250 donation
Covers the volunteer costs of a stitching class in prison.
£500 donation
Pays for the training, materials and support for one prisoner for an entire year, helping them to rebuild a meaningful, independent,crime-free life.
By giving prisoners hope that transformation is truly possible, they can envision a meaningful life after release. But nobody tells the story of how Fine Cell Work has helped them better than the prisoners themselves:
“Stitching allows me to use a totally different part of my brain and personality. I can move away from the more difficult reflections and anxieties and feel creative and purposeful. This means I no longer feel that my life has come to a halt and that I am of no use to anyone else.”- Tom, FCW Stitcher -
