Stories of Afghanistan

Hear from a panel of speakers whose works have, in different ways, illuminated Afghanistan’s kaleidoscopic past and present through war and unrest, but also through culture and community. Durkhanai Ayubi shares her family’s food, heritage and culture in Parwana. Zaheda Ghani speaks to her debut novel Pomegranate & Fig, a story of tradition, family, war and displacement. Andrew Quilty recounts the capture of the country’s capital in 2021 through the eyes of Afghans in August in Kabul. They speak with writer and director Benjamin Gilmour, whose film Jirga tells the story of an Australian soldier who returns to Afghanistan seeking to make amends for a war crime.

This episode was recorded live at the 2023 Sydney Writers’ Festival.  

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