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Hirbod Human, a PhD student in Comparative Studies on the Design, Aesthetics, and the Arts track, has received a second literary recognition for his book Last Moments: The Dark Shadows of Protest in Iran .

The book was named an Award Finalist in the Fiction, Short Story/Novella category at the 2026 International Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite. The recognition follows an earlier honor this year, when Last Moments received a Finalist Award in Regional Fiction at the 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Here's a reflection from Hirbod regarding his book and recent awards:

 I never imagined that a book this difficult in its subject matter—and deliberately difficult to read—would receive this kind of recognition. That makes these two awards especially meaningful to me. Last Moments comes from Iran, but I never wanted it to be only about Iran. We are living through a moment when the suffering of ordinary Iranians can easily disappear behind geopolitical positions: Iran, Israel, Palestine, America, the Islamic Republic, left and right. Those who oppose a brutal government can suddenly be treated as though acknowledging their suffering requires taking a side in an entirely different political argument. Inside Iran, this has become frighteningly literal, as dissenters and protesters have been accused of being collaborators, agents of foreign powers, or supporters of the enemy.

But this is not the first time human suffering has been filtered through political agendas, and unfortunately it will not be the last. History repeatedly shows us how easily people find reasons to look away from brutality when acknowledging it becomes politically inconvenient.

That was one of the reasons I wrote these stories as I did. They are intentionally short. I did not want to give the reader enough distance to romanticize the violence, or enough narrative comfort to justify what happens because of an attachment to a character, ideology, country, religion, or political cause. I wanted the reader simply to witness. Because tyranny does not become less brutal when we agree with the politics surrounding it. When people are killed, tortured, imprisoned, or abused by governments or powerful political groups, their humanity should not depend upon whether their suffering fits our preferred political narrative.

Perhaps that is what makes these awards so personal to me. They tell me that these difficult stories were read, witnessed, and recognized. And at a time when I sometimes wondered whether a book like this could still find a willing audience, that is an extraordinary honor.

The two recognitions mark an exciting year for Hirbod's creative and scholarly work. His interdisciplinary practice brings together writing, design, filmmaking, visual art, and academic research. At ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ, he continues this work within the Comparative Studies program under the supervision and mentorship of Dr. Richard Shusterman.

Hirbod is also preparing for the publication of his forthcoming book, Divine Justice , scheduled for release in mid December. Structured as a literary play in seven scenes and written in language inspired by biblical literature, the book explores philosophical questions surrounding justice, morality, and human responsibility through dramatic dialogue.

Congratulations to Hirbod on these literary achievements and his continued creative and scholarly work!

Learn more about Last Moments: The Dark Shadows of Protest in Iran here: