“Thirteen days. Almost two weeks. And, just five days in, she had learned a fundamental truth about time: Like the accordion on which old Pashto songs were sometimes played, time stretched and contracted depending on his absence or presence.”

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.