In Small Heart, Big Wishes, Mina T. meets a teenage girl by the river who longs to attend school, but whose father won’t allow it. Farahnazrecalls an encounter with neighborhood bullies in The Panjshiry Boys. And catch the excitement of Miriam‘s trip outside her country in Traveling Alone.These are among several new AWWP writers who add their stories to a tapestry of oft-silenced Afghan women voices.
Where have you gone? asks Tabasom in a haunting poem about her missing friend. Pakiza‘s graceful To My Loved One is full of longing, and Mahnaz‘s Turning the Soil speaks of her inner strength and desire for peace.
AWWP continues to reach out to new writers as it nurtures the more experienced. In the coming weeks, you’ll encounter pieces by Humira, who writes about northern Afghanistan; Saifora, a political scholar who has worked on behalf of women in politics and other humanitarian and gender issues; and Nadia, a poet. Check out the latest at awwproject.org.
We never want the lack of a laptop or Internet service to be a barrier to our brave writers who dare to share their stories. Please consider helping us support these voices by making a tax-deductible donation today toward the monthly rent for the Women’s Writing Hut in Kabul, or laptops and Internet service.
And as always, please remember to encourage these brave writers with your comments on our website.
Thank you for your support and shared commitment to bring forward the voices and stories of Afghan women.
The former Taliban regime in Afghanistan never would have allowed a woman to leave her home without a mahram, or escort. My mother-in-law and my family all asked why would I go on this trip alone? Why not reject this trip? My husband said I should go because he saw how much it meant to me.
One night I was walking along the path and repeating my lessons in my mind when suddenly the Panjshiry boys came my way. They were much older and they knew that I was not from Panjshir.
Mary Guterson is the author of We Are All Fine Here and Gone to the Dogs.
Although I’d read many of the pieces written by the women of AWWP, I still had no idea what to expect in my role as mentor. The women I’d be working with live through such hardship. What would I say to them? How could I possibly encourage them to write? But from the first day, these amazing women swept me into their sphere, welcoming and encouraging me with their letters, poetry and prose. The immediacy of their writings, their honesty and depth-these writers pour their hearts out on paper and then express their gratitude to their mentors, as though we are the ones who deserve gratitude.
Of course, it is the other way around. That these women allowed me to connect with them from across the planet, that they allowed me to read their words-well, it’s cliché to say, but I know I learned more than they did through my month of mentoring. What these women make clear is that the human experience is universal, that love really does make a difference, and that writing from the heart is both powerful and cathartic.
My sincere thanks to AWWP for allowing me this opportunity.
Donna Brown Agins is the author of two biographies,Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: Legendary First Lady (People to Know) and Maya Angelou: Diversity Makes for a Rich Tapestry.
Donna’s AWWP experience began at an event where AWWP founder Masha spoke and continued more deeply when she became a mentor.
Many of our students and women writers, especially outside of Kabul, cannot get to an Internet cafe due to security considerations. A laptop at home and a jump drive would allow them to write their pieces, and then they can ask a male relative to send the work at an Internet cafe.
A $20 donation will buy a flash drive and $500 in donations will buy a laptop for our women writers. No contribution is too small. Thank you, and please contact us with any questions.
The Women’s Writing Hut in an undisclosed location in Kabul remains an oasis for our writers, a nest to nurture their voices. Three-hundred-dollars supports Internet service for the hut for a month, six-hundred-dollars covers one month’s rent, and contributions of any size contribute directly to allowing these women to tell their stories. The Afghan Women’s Writing Project is a non-profit with 501(c)3 status. Your donation is tax deductible.
Founder Masha Hamilton was awarded the Women’s National Book Association Humanitarian of the Year award at an event held in New York on March 12. Program Director Rachel de Baere had the opportunity to speak at the ceremony on behalf of our women writers. Congratulations Masha!
Out of Silence: Readings from the Afghan Women’s Writing Project was held on April 9 at Indiana’s Purdue University, in Fort Wayne, New Jersey and is coming up at Arizona State University on May 3.
The ASU event will be directed by ASU Master of Fine Arts faculty member Melissa Pritchard, and will feature ASU MFA students reading work by our women writers. The presentation is at the Tempe Campusin NEEB Hall.
The Afghan Women’s Writing Project was begun as a way to allow the voices of Afghan women—too often silenced—to enter the world directly, without any mediation. This project is possible only because of the outstanding American women authors and teachers who generously donate their time and energy as mentors.
Additionally, the tireless contributions of these volunteers:
Rachel de Baere, Program Director
Neha Bawa, Creative Outreach Coordinator
Stefan Cooke, Webmaster and Website Designer
Darcy Courteau, Editor Cate Dowman, Assistant to the Director
Elisabeth Lehr, Workshop Program Coordinator
Jeff Lyons, Creative Outreach Director Leanne K. Moore, Special Events Coordinator Sharni Montgomery, Outreach Director Down Under
Susan Postlewaite, Coordinating Editor Tahmina Popal, Liaison in Afghanistan
Kathleen Rafiq and HeidiLevine, Photography
Mary Reed, Editor
Jordan Schneider, Special Projects Coordinator
Lauren Shapiro, Intern
Tina Singleton, Liaison in Afghanistan
Stephanie Tait, Assistant Creative Outreach Director
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