“Afghanistan is a rural nation, where 85 percent of people live in the countryside. And out there it's very, very conservative, very tribal - almost medieval.”

Afghan-American novelist of the 21st century, born in Paris. His work explores displacement and human connection through vivid storytelling, most notably with *The Kite Runner* and *A Thousand Splendid Suns*. A physician by training, he channels his experiences into narratives that bridge cultural divides.