Afghan-American novelist
Khaled Hosseini
(
;Persian/Pashto
???? ?????
[?x?led
ho?sejni]
; born March 4, 1965) is an
Afghan-American
novelist,
UNHCR
goodwill ambassador, and former physician.
[1]
[2]
His
debut novel
The Kite Runner
(2003) was a critical and commercial success; the book and his subsequent novels have all been at least partially set in
Afghanistan
and have featured an
Afghan
as the protagonist. Hosseini's novels have enlightened the global audience about Afghanistan's people and culture.
[3]
Hosseini was briefly a resident of Iran and France after being born in Kabul, Afghanistan, to a diplomat father. When Hosseini was 15, his family applied for asylum in the
United States
, where he later became a naturalized citizen. Hosseini did not return to Afghanistan until 2003
[4]
when he was 38, an experience similar to that of the protagonist in
The Kite Runner
. In later interviews, Hosseini acknowledged that he suffered from
survivor's guilt
for having been able to leave the country prior to the
Soviet invasion
and
subsequent wars
.
After graduating from college, Hosseini worked as a physician in
California
, a situation he likened to "an arranged marriage".
[5]
The success of
The Kite Runner
meant he was able to retire from medicine in order to write full-time. His three novels have all reached various levels of critical and commercial success.
[6]
The Kite Runner
spent 101 weeks on
The New York Times
Best Seller list
, including three weeks at number one.
[7]
His second novel,
A Thousand Splendid Suns
(2007), spent 103 weeks on the chart, including 15 at number one
[8]
[9]
while his third novel,
And the Mountains Echoed
(2013), remained on the chart for 33 weeks.
[10]
[11]
In addition to writing, Hosseini has advocated for the support of refugees, including establishing with the UNHCR the Khaled Hosseini Foundation to support Afghan refugees returning to Afghanistan.
[12]
Early life and education
[
edit
]
Early life
[
edit
]
Hosseini was born on March 4, 1965, in
Kabul
, Afghanistan, the eldest of five children.
[13]
His father, Nasser, worked as a diplomat for the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
in Kabul while his mother worked as a
Persian language
teacher at a girls' high school; both originate from
Herat
.
[13]
Regarding his ethnicity, Hosseini stated, "I'm not pure anything. There's a
Pashtun
part of me, a
Tajik
part of me."
[14]
His mother's family is believed to be from the
Mohammadzai
tribe of Pashtuns.
[15]
Hosseini describes his upbringing as privileged. He spent eight years of his childhood in the upper class
Wazir Akbar Khan
neighborhood in Kabul.
[13]
[14]
[16]
Hosseini does not recall his sister, Raya, ever suffering discrimination for being a female,
[16]
and he remembers Kabul as "a growing, thriving, cosmopolitan city", where he regularly flew kites with his cousins.
[17]
In 1970, Hosseini and his family moved to
Iran
where his father worked for the
Embassy of Afghanistan
in
Tehran
. In 1973, Hosseini's family returned to Kabul, and Hosseini's youngest brother was born in July of that year. In 1976, when Hosseini was 11 years old, his father secured a job in
Paris
, France, and moved the family there.
[18]
They were unable to return to Afghanistan because of the April 1978
Saur Revolution
in which the
People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
(PDPA) seized power. In 1980, shortly after the start of the
Soviet?Afghan War
, they sought
political asylum
in the United States and made their residence in
San Jose, California
. When Hosseini initially came to the United States, he was fifteen years old and could not speak English. He describes the experience as "a culture shock" and "very alienating".
[18]
Despite their distance from the country's turmoil, the family was aware of the situations faced by a number of their friends and relatives. Hosseini explained:
We had a lot of family and friends in Kabul. And the communist coup, as opposed to the coup that happened in '73, was actually very violent. A lot of people rounded up and executed, a lot of people were imprisoned. Virtually anybody [who] was affiliated or associated with the previous regime or the royal family was persecuted, imprisoned, killed, rounded up, or disappeared. And so we would hear news of friends and acquaintances and occasionally family members to whom that had happened, [who] were either in prison or worse, had just disappeared and nobody knew where they were, and some of them never turned up. My wife's uncle was a very famous singer and composer in Kabul who had been quite vocal about his dislike for the communists and so on, and he disappeared. And to this day, we have no idea what happened to him. So that sort of thing, we began to hear news over in Europe of mass executions and really just horror stories. So it was surreal, and it also really kind of hit home in a very real way.
[13]
Education
[
edit
]
Hosseini graduated from
Independence High School in San Jose
in 1984 and enrolled at
Santa Clara University
, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in
biology
in 1988. The following year, he enrolled in the
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
, where he graduated with his
M.D.
in 1993. In 1997, he finished his internal medicine residency at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. Up to a year and a half after The Kite Runner's publication, he spent more than ten years practicing medicine.
Career
[
edit
]
Novels
[
edit
]
Hosseini with President
George W Bush
and First lady
Laura Bush
Khaled Hosseini with actors from
The Kite Runner
, Bahram and Elham Ehsas
In 2003, Hosseini published his first novel,
The Kite Runner
, the story of a young boy, Amir, struggling to form a deeper connection with his father and coping with memories of a traumatic childhood event. The novel is set in Afghanistan, from the fall of the monarchy until the collapse of the
Taliban regime
, as well as in the
San Francisco Bay Area
, specifically in
Fremont, California
. The novel was the best selling novel of 2005 in the United States, according to
Nielsen BookScan
.
[19]
The author read the audio version of The Kite Runner as well.
The Kite Runner
has been adapted into a
film of the same name
released in December 2007. Hosseini made a cameo appearance towards the end of the movie as a bystander, when Amir purchases a kite which he, then, flies with Sohrab.
Afghanistan is the setting for Hosseini's second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, which was released in 2007. The story addresses many of the same issues as Hosseini's first book, but from a female perspective. It tells the tale of two women, Mariam and Laila, whose lives become intertwined after Mariam's husband marries Laila. The story is set during Afghanistan's tumultuous thirty-year transition from Soviet occupation to Taliban control and post-Taliban rebuilding. The novel was released by
Riverhead Books
on May 22, 2007, at the same time as the Simon & Schuster audiobook. The adaptation rights of the novel were subsequently acquired by producer
Scott Rudin
and
Columbia Pictures
.
[20]
Hosseini's third novel
And the Mountains Echoed
was released on May 21, 2013. Prior to its release, Hosseini said:
I am forever drawn to family as a recurring central theme of my writing. My earlier novels were at heart tales of fatherhood and motherhood. My new novel is a multi-generational family story as well, this time revolving around brothers and sisters, and the ways in which they love, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for each other."
[21]
UNHCR
[
edit
]
Hosseini is currently a Goodwill Envoy for the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR).
[22]
He has been working with the Khaled Hosseini Foundation to deliver humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.The concept for the foundation was inspired by the trip to
Afghanistan
that Hosseini made in 2007 with UNHCR, with the organisation raising funds to build homes for refugees returning to Afghanistan.
[12]
Sea Prayer, an illustrated short story by Hosseini that was released in 2018, was motivated by the drowning of three-year-old Alan Kurdi, a refugee who was trying to get to Europe from Syria. Proceeds from sales went to the UNHCR and the Khaled Hosseini Foundation.
[12]
Influences
[
edit
]
As a child, Hosseini read a lot of
Persian poetry
, especially the works of poets such as
Rumi
,
Omar Khayyam
,
Abdul-Q?dir B?dil
, and
Hafez
. He has also cited a
Persian
translation of
Jack London's
White Fang
as a key influence from his youth, in addition to translations of novels including
Alice in Wonderland
and
Mickey Spillane
's
Mike Hammer
series.
[23]
[24]
He has cited Afghan singer
Ahmad Zahir
as a key musical influence, choosing the songs "Madar" and "Aye Padesha Khuban" as his two Inheritance Tracks during an appearance on
BBC Radio 4
's
Saturday Live
, and naming Zahir as "the Afghan Elvis" and stating his music was "one of the seminal memories of my time in Afghanistan".
[25]
[26]
[27]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Hosseini is married to Roya, and they have two children. The family reside in Northern California. He is fluent in Persian and Pashto, and has described himself as a secular Muslim.
[28]
[29]
[30]
In July 2022, Hosseini announced via social media that his 21-year-old child had come out as
transgender
.
[31]
[32]
Bibliography
[
edit
]
Awards and honors
[
edit
]
In 2008, Hosseini received the Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement
.
[33]
[34]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Bilal ibn Rasheed
The not-so-curious case of Khaled Hosseini
Archived
October 22, 2013, at the
Wayback Machine
.
Jang Group of Newspapers
- ^
"A Critical Response to the Pashtun Bashing in The Kite Runner, by Nationalist Pashtun Rahmat Rabi Zirakyar"
. Dawat Independent Media Center (DIMC). Archived from
the original
on August 15, 2014.
- ^
"Negotiating the Self and the Other in Times of Globalization: Unveiling Afghan Lives through Select Novels of Khaled Hosseini | Ensemble"
.
doi
:
10.37948/ensemble-2020-0202-a018
.
S2CID
237822534
. Retrieved
November 4,
2023
.
- ^
Grossman, Lev (May 17, 2007).
"The Kite Runner Author Returns Home"
.
Time
.
ISSN
0040-781X
. Retrieved
May 28,
2021
.
- ^
Miller, David (June 7, 2013).
"Khaled Hosseni author of Kite Runner talks about his mistress: Writing"
.
Loveland Magazine
. Archived from
the original
on August 31, 2013
. Retrieved
August 4,
2013
.
- ^
Kaur, Harmeet (August 21, 2021).
"The author of 'The Kite Runner' has a message for anyone worried about Afghanistan"
.
CNN
. Retrieved
August 22,
2021
.
- ^
"Best Sellers: Paperback Trade Fiction: Sunday, September 18th 2011"
.
The New York Times
. September 18, 2011.
- ^
Schuessler, Jennifer.
"Hardcover"
.
The New York Times
.
- ^
"Hardcover Fiction"
.
The New York Times
. May 11, 2008.
- ^
Dallas
Morning News
archive
. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^
New York Times
Best Seller list, January 12, 2014
. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^
a
b
c
Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for.
"Khaled Hosseini"
.
UNHCR
. Retrieved
March 25,
2021
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Khaled Hosseini, M.D. Biography and Interview"
.
www.achievement.org
.
American Academy of Achievement
.
- ^
a
b
Tranter, Kirsten (June 1, 2013).
"Remaking home"
.
The Sydney Morning Herald
. Retrieved
August 4,
2013
.
- ^
Rabi Zirakyar, Rahmat (May 31, 2013).
"KITE RUNNER: A PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATION?"
.
Sabawoon Online
. Retrieved
August 4,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
Young, Lucie (May 19, 2007).
"Despair in Kabul"
.
Telegraph.co.uk
. Retrieved
August 4,
2013
.
- ^
"
'Kite Runner' Author On His Childhood, His Writing, And The Plight Of Afghan Refugees"
.
Radio Free Europe
. June 21, 2012
. Retrieved
August 4,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
Hoby, Hermione (May 31, 2013).
"Khaled Hosseini: 'If I could go back now, I'd take The Kite Runner apart'
"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
July 2,
2013
.
- ^
"Harry Potter tops US best-seller list for 2005"
.
ninemsn.com.au
. January 7, 2006. Archived from
the original
on March 2, 2007
. Retrieved
February 14,
2007
.
- ^
LaPorte, Nicole; Fleming, Michael (February 1, 2007).
"Rudin buys rights to 'Suns'
"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
February 14,
2007
.
- ^
"
'Kite Runner' author Khaled Hosseini will release a new novel this spring"
.
Christian Science Monitor
. October 30, 2012
. Retrieved
November 22,
2012
.
- ^
"(22 May 2007) "Words of support for UNHCR as Kite Runner author publishes new novel"
United Nations Commission on Human Rights
"
. Archived from
the original
on August 24, 2010.
- ^
And the Mountains Echoed Q&A with Khaled Hosseini
Archived
November 2, 2013, at the
Wayback Machine
page 2 khaledhosseinifoundation.org
- ^
(June 6, 2013)
Khaled Hosseini: By the Book
nytimes.com
- ^
Terry Deary, Khaled Hosseini and Mr Mitchell
Saturday Live - October 26, 2013, bbc.co.uk
- ^
"BBC Radio 4 ? Saturday Live ? Downloads"
.
BBC
.
- ^
(May 23, 2013)
Pick Three: Khaled Hosseini
Archived
December 8, 2015, at the
Wayback Machine
soundcheck.wnyc.org
- ^
Journal, The Flint (October 17, 2008).
"Author Khaled Hosseini visits Flint area, talks about books and foreign cultures"
.
mlive
.
- ^
"Biography"
.
khaledhosseini.com
. Archived from
the original
on June 5, 2014
. Retrieved
January 23,
2014
.
- ^
About our Executive Team
Archived
January 3, 2017, at the
Wayback Machine
The Khaled Hosseini Foundation
- ^
Hansford, Amelia (July 14, 2022).
"Kite Runner author Khaled Hosseini proudly introduces his trans daughter"
.
PinkNews
. Retrieved
July 14,
2022
.
- ^
Schaub, Michael (July 14, 2022).
"Khaled Hosseini Says His Child Is Transgender"
.
Kirkus Reviews
. Retrieved
July 15,
2022
.
- ^
"Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement"
.
www.achievement.org
.
American Academy of Achievement
.
- ^
"2008 Summit"
.
Dr. Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner, receiving the Golden Plate Award presented by Awards Council member Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, during the 2008 Summit in Hawaii.
- ^
Exclusive Books Boeke Prize Winners
?
Goodreads
- ^
California Book Award Silver Medal Winners
Goodreads
- ^
Rowling honoured at book awards
Archived
January 11, 2017, at the
Wayback Machine
BBC News
- ^
"Awards: Langum Prize; Kafka Award; Galaxy British Books"
.
Shelf Awareness
. April 10, 2008
. Retrieved
July 15,
2022
.
- ^
Book Sense Book of the Year Award Winners
Goodreads
- ^
"Awards: Book Sense; Miriam Bass; Design Museum"
.
Shelf Awareness
. March 21, 2008
. Retrieved
July 15,
2022
.
- ^
CHOICE AWARDS 2013
Goodreads
- ^
"DSC Prize 2015 Longlist Announced"
.
The DSC prize
. October 20, 2014
. Retrieved
July 15,
2022
.
- ^
"Awards: DSC for South Asian Literature Longlist"
.
Shelf Awareness
. October 22, 2014
. Retrieved
July 15,
2022
.
External links
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