Qais Akbar Omar

Biografía

**Qais Akbar Omar** is a writer whose work explores the human experience of modern Afghanistan. He is the author of *A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story*, a memoir translated into more than twenty languages. The book was selected as an Editor’s Choice by *The New York Times Book Review*, named a *Washington Post* Notable Book, and recognized as one of the Best Books of the Year by *The Seattle Times* and *Kirkus Reviews*. It was also a finalist for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Omar is also the co-author of *A Night in the Emperor’s Garden*, which was shortlisted for the Sheridan Morley Prize for Theatre Biography and adapted for BBC Radio 3. His essays, short stories, and journalism have appeared in *The New York Times*, *The Atlantic*, *The Boston Globe*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Globe and Mail*, *The Cairo Review of Global Affairs*, *The Southern Review*, *AGNI*, *The Hopkins Review*, *The Markaz Review*, *Guernica*, and other publications. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Omar earned a BA in Journalism from Kabul University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Boston University. He was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Colorado Boulder and a Scholars at Risk Fellow at Harvard University. Before and alongside his literary career, he worked with USAID and the Asian Development Bank, supporting Afghanistan’s carpet industry and artisan communities.