About Khaled Hosseini
Born on March 4, 1965, in Afghanistan, Khaled Hosseini was the oldest of five children. At the age of 11 his family was relocated by the Foreign Ministry to Paris, France because his father was a diplomat. His family had planned to return to Afghanistan but by that time the country had been invaded by the Soviet Army. The family was granted political asylum in the United States, where they lived in San Jose, California. Hosseini didn’t return to Afghanistan until 2003 at the age of 38.
Hosseini attended Santa Clara University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. He then earned a medical degree in 1993 from University of California, San Diego. He began writing his first novel, The Kite Runner, in 2001 while practicing medicine. The book was published in 2003 followed by his second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, published in 2007 and his third book, And the Mountains Echoed, published in 2013.
Hosseini established The Khaled Hosseini Foundation whose purpose is to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan by working with the United Nations Refugee Organization to build shelters for refugee families and providing economic opportunities, education, and healthcare for women and children in Afghanistan. Hosseini was named a Goodwill Envoy to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency in 2006.
Hosseini has stated that his influences include Afghan singer Ahmad Zahir. As a child he read Persian poetry as well as a farsi translation of Jack London’s White Fang. He also read also read Persian translations of novels such as Alice in Wonderland and Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer series. He is greatly influenced by his childhood in pre-Soviet era Afghanistan and his personal experiences there. His 2013 novel And the Mountains Echoed draws on his influences from his family’s time living in Paris.
Interviews
Khaled Hosseini: 'If I could go back now, I'd take The Kite Runner apart'
Hermione Hoby interviewed Hosseini in 2013 about his then-two published books, his personal life, and his visions as a writer and a doctor. When asked about his first novel compared to his second, Hosseini admits that if he were given a red pen he would make some big changes. Still, he is happy that he wrote the book when he did because if he had written it later in life The Kite Runner would not be the same in its storyline and people might not have read it.
Siblings' Separation Haunts In 'Kite Runner' Author's Latest
In an interview with NPR's Rachel Martin, Hosseini and she discuss And the Mountains Echoed and why Hosseini wrote the book the way he did. He talks about the importance of memory, the bonds shared between characters, how each character has their own backstory to be told, and of the love he wants to explore in his novels- not a romantic love, but intense and life-changing relationships between human beings.
Iraq: Khaled Hosseini Visits Syrian Refugees
Through the UNHCR, Hosseini visits a Syrian refugee camp. There, he speaks with Payman, a 16 year old girl who writes about the hardships of her world in order to get through them. The two talk about issues of education, war, and the importance of writing. Hosseini expresses how valuable and eye-opening human interactions are, especially for western cultures to see what others are going through and be able to understand their struggles.
Khaled Hosseini on conditions in Afghanistan
Hosseini explains how he uses his media attention and wealth from his novels in order to give back to the people of Afghanistan. He promotes education for women and children especially, and believes that although the economy is improving that Afghanistan is still a very poor country and is in need of assistance.
