“For me as a writer, the story has always taken precedence over everything else. I have never sat down to write with broad, sweeping ideas in mind, and certainly never with a specific agenda.”

Afghan and American novelist, former physician, UNHCR goodwill ambassador

Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan and American novelist, former physician, and UNHCR goodwill ambassador. His debut novel, The Kite Runner, appeared in 2003 and became both a critical and commercial success. His later novels also draw on Afghanistan, with settings at least partly there and Afghan protagonists. Through this work, he has helped bring wider attention to Afghanistan’s people and culture.