Mohammed Hanif is a British-Pakistani writer, journalist and playwright, who published the acclaimed novel “A Case of Exploding Mangoes” in 2008. A dark, political satire, it was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2008 and won the Commonwealth Book Prize for Best First Book in 2009. The novel is a fictitious version of the … Continue reading Review: A Case of Exploding Mangoes

Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid leapt into prominence outside of his home country when, post 9/11, Western journalists poured into Afghanistan to report on the conflict there. Little had been written about the Taliban at that time, and so many of them clutched Rashid’s first book published in 1999, “Taliban.” Since that time, Rashid has become … Continue reading Review: Descent into Chaos

Hope does not die like an animal – quick and sudden. It is more like a plant, which slowly withers away. -“The Wandering Falcon,” by Jamil Ahmad There is no other book written in English that captures the spirit of the Pashtun people as well as “The Wandering Falcon” by Jamil Ahmad. Although I have … Continue reading Review: The Wandering Falcon

At your Christmas, Bagram is alit and bright, On my Eid, even the rays of the sun are dead, Suddenly at midnight, your bombs bring the light, In our houses, even the oil lamps are turned off. On Eid, by Khepulwaak Afghanistan is a country of poets. “The Poetry of the Taliban” would seem to … Continue reading The Poetry of the Taliban

The Afghan and U.S. governments have been pursuing talks with the Taliban for several years now, although in 2018 they seem to be gathering momentum, perhaps leading towards full-blown negotiations to end the conflict in Afghanistan. Despite this growing entente, there is still an issue that hampers the efforts of the U.S. government – few … Continue reading My Life with the Taliban

Atiq Rahimi is one of several Afghan writers who has become well known in the West. Born in Kabul, he studied at the Lycée Esteqlal where he learned French. After the Soviet invasion, he and his family fled first to Pakistan, and then to Paris where he studied at the Sorbonne. Rahimi first began to … Continue reading Review: Earth & Ashes