“I spent a lot of winters in my childhood flying kites with my brother, with my cousins, with friends in the neighborhood. It's what we did in the winter. Schools close down. There was not much to do.”

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.