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Untold Narratives

@untold-narratives.bsky.social

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A development programme for writers marginalised by community or conflict. Currently working with writers in Afghanistan and NE India. https://untold-narratives.org/

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jul 10

On 7 July, @wwborders.bsky.social published A Chapan the Height of Noorjan, a short story by Paranda writer Zaheda, translated from Dari by Abdul Bacet. In this piece, a boy’s playful defiance collides with the weight of war, leaving a family forever changed.
wordswithoutborders.org/read/article...

A Chapan the Height of Noorjan - Words Without Borders

In Zaheda’s story, a boy’s playful defiance collides with the weight of war, leaving a family forever changed.

wordswithoutborders.org

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · 20d

Cortina Butler, deputy director of arts at the British Council, joins Untold Narratives as chair of the board of directors.

www.thebookseller.com/news/untold-...

Untold Narratives appoints Cortina Butler as chair

Untold Narratives has appointed Cortina Butler, deputy director of arts at the British Council, as the new chair of its board.

www.thebookseller.com

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · 20d

We’re hiring an Editorial and Partnerships Manager to join our team in London (hybrid). Learn more: bit.ly/47PDRhA

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Aug 15

Today marks four years since the Taliban re-took Kabul. It is also one year since the publication of My Dear Kabul (Coronet Books, 2024). Here’s a sample of how Afghan women writers described the events of that day and its aftermath. Buy the book: lnk.to/MyDearKabul

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jul 31

The Bagri Foundation’s series, A Woman Hums: Women, Voice, Creativity, brings together women curators, artists, filmmakers and writers from across Asia and its diaspora.
www.stirworld.com/see-news-the...

The Bagri Samaya series celebrates and amplifies women’s voices

The Bagri Foundation’s series, A Woman Hums: Women, Voice, Creativity, brings together women curators, artists, filmmakers and writers from across Asia and its diaspora.

www.stirworld.com

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jul 31

We’re hiring a Communications Manager to join our team in London (hybrid). Learn more: untold-narratives.org/opp.../commu...

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jul 31

We’re hiring a Finance and Office Co-ordinator to join our team in London (hybrid), one day a week. Learn more:
untold-narratives.org/.../finance-...

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jul 17

My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird, New Fiction by Afghan Women (MacLehosePress, 2022) has been published in South Korea by Pacho Publishing. Buy the English edition: bit.ly/4f12NUY

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jul 15

In Reading, We Resist, by Paranda writer Marie Bamyani, was published by The Markaz Review @markaz-review.bsky.social this month. Marie talks about the importance of the Paranda book club, where Afghan women writers select and discuss a variety of books. themarkaz.org/in-reading-w...

In Reading, We Resist

In Paranda, everyday activities like reading symbolize protest and resistance in homes, alleyways, and gatherings.

themarkaz.org

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jul 10

A Chapan the Height of Noorjan - Words Without Borders

In Zaheda’s story, a boy’s playful defiance collides with the weight of war, leaving a family forever changed.

wordswithoutborders.org

1 1

Reposted by Untold Narratives

English PEN @englishpen.bsky.social · Jul 7

📣 We're recruiting! English PEN is looking for a Campaigns Officer to join the team (full-time, permanent).

Application deadline: 10am BST, Monday 21 July 2025

Apply & share ⤵️
www.englishpen.org/jobs/vacancy...

Vacancy: Campaigns Officer - English PEN

www.englishpen.org

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Reposted by Untold Narratives

Words Without Borders & WWB Campus @wwborders.bsky.social · Jul 8

Part of a series of writing by Afghan women, this story by Zaheda (tr. Abdul Bacet, produced in collaboration with @untold-narratives.bsky.social ) narrates the US invasion of Afghanistan through the eyes of a young boy. Read it on WWB: wordswithoutborders.org/read/article...

A flowering bush with the quote “But those days return. Those days before the bombardment. Those days we would be herded toward the mosque, wherever we were in the city, after the Mullah’s ‘Allahu Akbar.’ And even after the prayers, as we left the mosque, they would hit us on the shoulder with a stick and say ‘Go, pray.’” and the text “'A Chapan the Height of Noorjan' by Zaheda, translated from Dari by Abdul Bacet”

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jul 3

Tongueless Speaker, a short story by Paranda writer Tamanna Easar, translated from Dari by Abdul Bacet, was published in @wwborders.bsky.social. The story follows a woman from Afghanistan as she attempts to adjust to her life in exile.
wordswithoutborders.org/read/article...

Tongueless Speaker - Words Without Borders

A grieving Afghan refugee finds a place of comfort in Tamanna Easar's short story.

wordswithoutborders.org

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jun 19

Bestselling British author Kate Mosse @katemossewriter.bsky.social joined Jane Garvey & Fi Glover on their radio show, Off Air. Kate talked about her letter exchange with Afghan writer, Parand. Listen below (13 June):
www.thetimes.com/podcasts/off...

Off Air with Jane & Fi

Fresh from their new Times Radio show Jane Garvey and Fi Glover keep the mics on, grab a cuppa and say what they really think – unencumbered and off air. If you want to contact the show to ask a quest...

www.thetimes.com

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jun 17

Read a letter exchange between Paranda writer Parand and best-selling British author @katemossewriter.bsky.social published in The Sunday Times. The writers discuss their craft and the lives of women and girls in Afghanistan.
www.thetimes.com/article/5a3a...

The Taliban letters: one woman writes in freedom, the other in fear

The bestselling British author Kate Mosse shares her inspiring email exchange with a brave female writer living under Afghanistan’s brutal regime

www.thetimes.com

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Jun 17

Join Paranda writer Tamanna Easar on 24 June at Exiled Lit Cafe panel ‘Step into my Shoes’, exploring the conflicting sense of self in exile. Get tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exiled-wri...

EXILED WRITERS INK presents STEP INTO MY SHOES with 5 fantastic writers

This Exiled Lit Cafe confronts the question of identity then and now plus the conflicting sense of self in exile. Is exile transformative?

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Reposted by Untold Narratives

Words Without Borders & WWB Campus @wwborders.bsky.social · Jun 12

Developed in partnership with @‌untold-narratives.bsky.social‬ , this story by Farishta Salehi (tr. Abdul Bacet) narrates an unlikely but meaningful friendship between two women. Read it on WWB: wordswithoutborders.org/read/article...

An orange scarf floating in the air with the quote “‘No, no, I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to tell you something,’ I said soothingly. Hearing my calm voice, she lowered the stone. I told her that she was wearing my favorite color. She started to laugh, and the laugh was so hysterical that it filled my heart with horror” and the text “'Rebellion' by Farishta Salehi, translated from Pashto by Abdul Bacet”

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · May 20

The event is part of Lambeth Readers and Writers festival by and in collaboration with Round Table Books.

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · May 20

Join us at Brixton Library on 2 June to hear My Dear Kabul (Coronet, 2024) contributor Batool Haidari, co-translator Dr Negeen Kargar, and one of the book’s editors, Sunila Galappatti, talking about this collective diary by Afghan women writers. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/my-dear-ka...

My Dear Kabul: A Year in the Life of an Afghan Women's Writing Group

Twenty-one women writers in Afghanistan shared the day-to-day reality of life after the Taliban retook Afghanistan.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Reposted by Untold Narratives

First Story @firststory.bsky.social · May 8

We are recruiting:

Programmes and Partnerships Manager London £29-30K, (FT/0.8) - to ensure the programme is delivered at a high level to existing and new schools.

Partnerships Officer £27-28K (PT, 0.6) - to research funders and schools.

Both roles close 27 May 2025.

firststory.org.uk/vacancies/

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · May 15

Heart Lamp is a short-story collection, originally written in Kannada language, translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi. The twelve stories depict the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India. www.andotherstories.org/heart-lamp-s...

Heart Lamp: Selected Stories | And Other Stories

In the twelve stories of Heart Lamp, Banu Mushtaq exquisitely captures the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India. Published originally in the Kannada language betwe...

www.andotherstories.org

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · May 15

With the International Booker Prize announcement on 20 May, we’re reading the shortlisted Heart Lamp (@andotherstories.bsky.social , 2025) by Banu Mushtaq.

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Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · May 1

"You can make noise in libraries and that noise can be really, rather wonderful,” Edmund de Waal said.

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · May 1

The speakers highlighted the importance of libraries in different parts of the world, with artist and writer Edmund de Waal talking about a library of sanctuary in the US, a library of translation in SE Asia, and a library of play and clay in the UK.

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · May 1

We enjoyed the @britishlibrary.bsky.social launch of Knowledge Without Borders – a report on the library’s work with its global partners. blogs.bl.uk/living-knowl...

Knowledge without borders

Today marks the launch of our new international report Knowledge without borders: How we made a difference with our global partners in 2023/24 (PDF, 1.4mb). We hear from Marcie Hopkins, Director of In...

blogs.bl.uk

Untold Narratives @untold-narratives.bsky.social · Apr 29

Running on Time, a non-fiction piece by Paranda writer Nooria Fakhree Aryan, was published in Exiled Ink Magazine. Nooria’s story follows one day of her life in exile in Germany, in which she explores her relationship with time. Read (p39): www.exiledwriters.co.uk/wp-content/u...