“Osman and Prideep had been in my employment for some weeks. Every Friday I would take the to lunch. It was the high point of their calender. During the meal I would harangue them as a reminder of what they had been hired for: but my orations never seemed to increase their output. I realised later that, in the East, a commitment to produce does not automatically accompany employment.”

British author, journalist and documentary maker

Tahir Shah is a British author, journalist, and documentary maker of Afghan-Indian descent. He is known for writing across travel, memoir, and cultural observation, drawing on his background and wide-ranging experiences. His work often explores place, identity, and the meeting of different traditions. As a journalist and filmmaker as well as an author, he has built a varied body of work, and his writing is associated with curiosity about people, landscapes, and the worlds they inhabit.