Khaled Hosseini (Provided)
“I get
these letters from writers about how to become a successful writer and I just
do not have a sexy answer for them,” he said. “Don’t write to get published,
don’t write to get rich; write because you have something to say and unless you
don’t write it down it’s going to drive you crazy.”
He would also never want you to get the impression that he sat down and wrote The Kite Runner, which has been
translated into over 42 languages and published in 38 countries, in one go.
“I don’t think that happens to anybody, somebody who comes out of left field
who writes this big novel,” he said. “I don’t think anybody just wakes up and
writes a book.”
The Kite Runner was the
result of a lifelong passion for writing and a story that he felt needed to be
told. It is a book that has, in his words, “humanized Afghanistan for western
readers.” But that, again, would be a misrepresentation.
“I think that most people whose writing has strong sociopolitical leanings
ultimately are driven by personal, intimate things,” he said.
Regardless of his intent, the book has, as a happy accident, helped readers
understand the struggles of Afghanistan and its people through a narrative about
a place that has seen strife for the past 40 years. Rather than paint the
struggles of the Afghan people, especially those marginalized by war and
occupation, in broad strokes, he chose to do a study of only one or two
characters.
He doesn’t make grand statements about the politics and history of the region.
Instead, Hosseini focuses on the microcosm of one family’s experiences, which
play out against the backdrop of the country’s upheaval.
He hones the focus of his novels to a razor-sharp perception through which the
reader gains insight into the commonalities of human life. This is what makes
his novels so effective. He emphasizes that we are all more similar than our
political leanings and the government of our homeland would have us believe.
“One of
the byproducts of [my writing] is a window into Afghan life and sociocultural
history, a bridge to many things Afghan,” he said.
It was a natural progression to want to help the country of his birth in some
way, and his success has had more impact than he ever imagined.
“My situation as a writer presented me with an opportunity to play, albeit a
small role … to help the people that populate my books,” he said.
The Khaled Hosseini Foundation provides humanitarian assistance for the people
of Afghanistan, especially refugees, and provides opportunities for healthcare
and the education of Afghan women and girls. Hosseini is also a Goodwill
Envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency.
“I think to be Afghan and in my position and level of success and not take
advantage of that would be grotesque,” he said.
The role
of women in Afghan culture and its future is one of particular interest to
Hosseini. His book A Thousand
Splendid Suns tackles a large topic by focusing on the experiences of two
Afghan women, whose lives are intertwined and changed by circumstances beyond
their control.
Like The Kite Runner, the
novel deals with the circumstances of Afghanistan’s history in terms of how it
affects the two protagonists. With A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini set out to create
a story about a complex theme.
“It [the novel] started with a big idea. Afghan women are absolutely crucial to
the success of the country, and there are important lessons to be learned from
the past, particularly after the Soviet withdrawal and the arrival of the
Taliban,” he said.
Hosseini received critical acclaim for his portrait of the two women who tell
the novel’s story. He was lauded for his ability to capture their voices
authentically.
“The trick, if
there is one, was to stop trying to experience the world from their perspective
and let them come to me and reveal themselves,” he explained. “I think that was
an important lesson … about all characters and one that has hopefully served me
well.”
Hosseini is coming to Oklahoma City as the guest speaker at the Metropolitan
Library Endowment Trust’s Literary Voices Event. The event is a fundraiser for
the trust, which helps support the Metropolitan Library System with grants for
various improvements systemwide.
This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2014.