Yen Press My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird Boek

An anthology of contemporary Afghan women’s short fiction in translation, featuring eighteen emerging writers from Afghanistan’s Pashto and Dari communities. My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird gathers intimate stories of family, work, childhood, friendship, war, gender identity and cultural traditions, told in clear, direct prose. The collection showcases personal courage and resilience, with voices from a country shaped by conflict and change. It includes an Introduction by Lyse Doucet and an Afterword by Lucy Hannah, and is developed through UNTOLD’s Write Afghanistan project, which supports marginalised writers in conflict and post-conflict regions.

The book presents a pivotal moment in Afghan literary life, offering both universal human experiences and distinctly local perspectives. It is the first major anthology of Afghan women’s short fiction, translated for a global audience, and underscores the contribution of women writers to contemporary Afghan culture and storytelling.

• Anthology of contemporary Afghan women short fiction in translation
• Eighteen writers from Pashto and Dari communities
• Introduction by Lyse Doucet; Afterword by Lucy Hannah
• MacLehose Press edition; 256 pages; Paperback
• Developed through UNTOLD’s Write Afghanistan project

Features

• Voices from Afghanistan’s two main linguistic groups
• Stories of family, work, childhood, friendship, gender identity
• War and resilience as recurring themes
• Direct, accessible prose
• Translated literary collection with global reach
• Grounded in real-life experiences of Afghan women

Usage

1. Read as a curated collection of short stories
2. Reflect on the lives and traditions of Afghan women
3. Consider the impact of conflict on personal identity
4. Explore perspectives from Pashto and Dari communities
5. Appreciate introductions and afterwords that frame the work