Khaled Hosseini: ‘Why I write about pain’

Originally a doctor by trade, Khaled Hosseini’s real passion lay in writing and now he is best known for his 2003 novel The Kite Runner, which was turned into a Hollywood film in 2007. That same year, he wrote his second bestseller, A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Hosseini became Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations, as well as the head of a non-profit organisation addressing social needs in his native Afghanistan. 

“I think Afghanistan is ready for change, and I think any change from the situation of the last 10 years, at least initially, can be seen as a positive thing,” he said. “Who is elected is almost as important as how he is elected.” 

Hosseini’s latest novel, And the Mountains Echoed, delves into the power of literature for refugees driven from their homes by war and famine, an experience to which Hosseini can relate.