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Start giftingMy Pen Is the Wing of a Bird
New Fiction by Afghan Women
Narrator
Sitara Attaie
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Length
6 hours
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“The 23 very short stories in this collection were composed as part of the Write Afghanistan project for Untold, a writing program for women in areas where there has been upheaval. The stories highlight the way oppression and war inflict lasting scars on families, especially women and children. They also illustrate the way these women exhibit resilience and determination in the face of these circumstances. Most of the writing is plain and feels autobiographical; there is subtext and depth beneath the simple words. The opening quote from one of the writers, which provides the title of the collection, says it all: 'My pen is the wing of a bird; it will tell you those thoughts we are not allowed to think, those dreams we are not allowed to dream.' ”
— Mamie • Quail Ridge Books
Summary
A landmark collection: the first anthology of short fiction by Afghan women that are "powerful, profound, and deeply moving" (Elif Shafak, author of The Island of Missing Trees, a Reese's Book Club pick)
"My pen is the wing of a bird; it will tell you those thoughts we are not allowed to think, those dreams we are not allowed to dream."
Eighteen Afghan women living in, speaking about, and writing from the country itself tell stories that are powerful and illuminating, unique and universal - stories of family, work, childhood, friendship, war, gender identity, and cultural traditions.
A woman's fortitude saves her village from disaster. A teenager explores their identity in a moment of quiet. A tormented girl tries to find love through a horrific act. A headmaster makes his way to work, treading the fine line between life and death.
These and more original, vital, and unexpected stories hail from extraordinary voices rooted in Afghanistan's two main linguistic groups (Pashto and Dari), and were developed over two years through the writer development program Untold's Write Aghanistan Project. My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird comes at a pivotal moment in Afghanistan's history, when these voices must be heard.
With an Introduction by [to come] and Afterword by Lucy Hannah, Founder and Director of Untold