Afghan writer, university professor and former ambassador Manizha Bakhtari has unveiled her third novel, A Daf for Golsa, at a literary gathering in Langley, British Columbia, bringing together Afghan and Iranian academics, researchers, journalists and literature enthusiasts.
The event was held on Friday, August 28, and organized by the Darakht-e Danesh Academy, an organization focused on education and learning resources. The gathering featured discussions on Bakhtari’s latest novel and her wider contribution to Afghan literature and journalism.
Among the speakers were Farzan Sajoudi, an Iranian linguist and semiotician; Mohammad Mohaghegh, a researcher and former diplomat; Mujib Khalwatgar, a journalist and head of the NAI media organization; Abdulrahim Ahmad Parwani, educational resources manager at Darakht-e Danesh Academy; and Maryam Zareh-Nejad, an Iranian researcher.
The speakers discussed A Daf for Golsa before an audience that included members of the Afghan and Iranian literary and academic communities in British Columbia.
The novel is Bakhtari’s third published work of fiction. Her previous novels include Sweet Ashes and The Four Daughters of Zarathustra.
In addition to her literary work, Bakhtari has written extensively about the history of journalism in Afghanistan. Her professional background also includes academia and diplomacy, including serving as Afghanistan’s ambassador to Austria.
The launch comes as Afghan writers and intellectuals continue to use literature and cultural events outside Afghanistan to maintain links with Afghanistan’s literary and intellectual traditions.
