Dear Readers:

I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. In the spirit of the season, I am thankful for all the support and encouragement that I have received from you over the past several years. In addition, I am thankful for your empathy and generous offers to aid the Afghan people. It’s really a great honor for me if these novels have helped make the hardships of the Afghan people feel real and not something academic and distant. Many many thanks to all of you who have offered to help, and to all of you for your support of these books.

I also want to thank my publisher, Riverhead, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA). They donated money on behalf of all the booksellers, librarians, and educators who supported The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, and built a primary school in Arababshirali, in northern Afghanistan. The school, which will benefit 270 students, will be a sanctuary of hope and happiness for many children. I was in northern Afghanistan last year and recall vividly that one of the main wishes of virtually everyone I met was for a local school. Afghan children are eager and hungry for education. They apply themselves very hard and take pride in their work. Many of them walk long distances and overcome many obstacles (not the least of which is threats from the Taliban) to learn to read and write and for the chance to contribute to their country. This school will be a godsend. It’s very humbling.

Continue reading "New primary school in Northern Afghanistan" »

Hello everyone:

First, many many thanks for your visits to this website and for your entries, which I appreciate very much.

An update first. The paperback edition of A Thousand Splendid Suns will be published on November 25th of this year. In early December, I will make a few public appearances in its support. The dates and venues have not been decided upon as yet. When I have details, I will post them on this website. I thank you for your continued support and patience.

Secondly, The Kite Runner will become a stage production at the San Jose Repertory Theater in the spring of 2009. The script is written by Matthew Spangler who directs and teaches drama at San Jose State. Casting searches for the play will begin later this month. Needless to say, I am thrilled and look forward to this production very much. I will be involved with the production at some capacity, which I have not as yet determined.

Lastly, I want to discuss Afghanistan, particularly in light of this being an election season and Afghanistan coming up in all of the presidential debates.

Continue reading "Optimism or Pessimism - thoughts on Afghanistan's future" »

Dear Readers:

“A nation stays alive when its culture stays alive.”

This is the motto of the Kabul Museum , recently printed in bold letters on a banner above the entrance. In that spirit, I want to draw attention to a National Geographic's exhibition that is presently on tour in the U.S. It is called Afghanistan, Hidden Treasures From the National Museum, Kabul. The exhibition consists of more than 22,000 ancient objects of gold, a collection that includes exquisite and priceless artifacts dating back more than 2,000 years. The exhibit highlights Afghanistan’s rich past as a dynamic economic power in the Silk Road culture and its fascinating cultural history.

Continue reading "Hidden Treasures from Afghanistan" »

Dear Readers:

I want to take this chance to thank all of the readers who submitted questions for the Book Group Discussion. I was thrilled to receive over 600 questions. I thank each and every one of you for your interest in my books and for submitting your questions.

Continue reading "2008 Book Group Discussion Update" »

Dear Readers:

Thank you, as ever, for your comments and questions. As always, I appreciate hearing from you and am grateful for your encouragement and support.

A quick update. Because many of you have asked, I will quickly address the film version of A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Continue reading "Film Version of A Thousand Splendid Suns" »

Dear Readers:

I first want to wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2008. I hope the new year brings you all the joy, good fortune, and happiness that you wish for.

For me, 2007 was an incredibly eventful year. It saw the publication of my second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, back on May 22nd. Many of you have asked me in your e-mails what inspired me to write this novel, and I thought I would say a few words about that.

Continue reading "2007 Recap...and into a New Year " »

Dear Readers:

Over the last four years, I have traveled across the country and met with thousands of readers like you, who showed up to hear me speak about The Kite Runner. I have received countless letters and e-mails in support of The Kite Runner, and have always been moved by how passionately readers continue to embrace my first novel. In my encounters with readers--be it in person, or by letter/e-mail--I've answered every imaginable question. But one that kept coming up -and one for which, until recently, I had no answer--was, "When is the new book out?"

Continue reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" »