It was deeply moving to hear about the lengths some of these women have had to go through to share their writing with the world. This collection is essential, it is the coldest, hardest truth, and yet it rings with such hope and perseverance. taken together [these stories] form a remarkable portrait of lives largely invisible to readers outside Afghanistan. My peaceful sleep was because of the small service I used to do for my country, because of my streets, because of a sense of freedom one can feel only in one’s own country. My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird is a landmark collection: the first anthology of short fiction by Afghan women.

And it’s impossible to find a foreign publisher who wants to read books about anything except the war. The sacrifices people make for one another and the unbreakable attachment people have to home, no matter what hell that home may host, are repeated notes that echo in the heart. There were some stories I connected with more than others, unsurprisingly, but there was only one story that I didn't really like or connect to; every other one had a little something that touched and moved me. They've been translated to English by local Afghan translators, and hence have a touch of simplicity as well as authenticity to their tone. Women and girls experience abuse and hardship daily with little to look forward to - life, and simply living is difficult.The anthology, My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird, was published this week by MacLehose Press, but many of the team involved have never met. So this is about encouraging the global gatekeepers to welcome in voices, in translation, who don’t necessarily have a local creative infrastructure to support them. So no matter what atrocities and struggles are mentioned in this anthology, things are even worse now. She has been reporting from Afghanistan since 1988 when she lived in Kabul and has been a frequent visitor ever since.

A collection of stories like this written by Afghan Women where we get to gain an insight into their stories and experiences are too important for a little book reviewer like me to even begin to judge. This written anthology captures lives largely lived at home, transcribing how much can be felt and experienced inside of one's own mind.The pandemic and the resumption of Taliban rule have made the publication of My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird little short of a miracle . There were a couple of moments where I had to stop reading just to process, which goes to show how potent some of these short stories can be.