Kennedy Kiser
In the face of censorship and exile, Afghan women are creating new paths to keep their writing alive.
Women gather in a self-help group in Kharmani village, Badakhshan, Afghanistan. Sandra Calligaro. CC BY 2.0.
After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, life for Afghan women changed almost overnight. Schools closed their doors to girls. Female journalists disappeared from television screens. Women’s rights to work, travel and participate in public life were erased. For Afghan women writers, the consequences were especially severe. Publishing their work became dangerous and, in many cases, impossible. Faced with censorship, fear and repression, many writers were forced into either silence or exile.
Even so, Afghan women refused to let their stories be erased. Across borders and time zones, they found new ways to protect their voices and preserve their culture.
Sisterhood has played a key role in this literary resistance. As the Taliban swept back into power, informal networks of women writers quickly adapted. Groups that once held in-person workshops moved online, becoming vital sources of emotional support and practical help. Writers shared resources for asylum applications, helped each other publish under safe conditions and simply listened to one another’s fears.
The emotional toll of exile was heavy. Many writers, like Marie Bamyani, described feeling “like a glass that breaks at once” after the fall of Kabul. Yet despite fear and displacement, writing remained a way to resist invisibility. Saadat described it as an act of courage: sharing their experiences, even anonymously, allowed Afghan women to document the reality of life under the Taliban in their own words.
To support these efforts, international initiatives stepped in. One of the most important initiatives is Untold Narratives, a London-based organization that supports marginalized writers throughout the world. In the aftermath of the Taliban’s takeover, Untold launched a project focused on Afghan women. Through mentorships, editorial support and translation assistance, they helped women writers craft stories that could be shared safely with an international audience. The resulting anthology, “My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird,” brings together short fiction from 18 Afghan women, some writing under pseudonyms to protect both themselves and their families. Many of the stories collected in this book explore life under Taliban rule, but they also capture everyday hopes, memories of childhood and the quiet dignity of ordinary women facing extraordinary oppression.
Lucy Hannah, the director of Untold, emphasizes the significance of Afghan women’s writing: “‘My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird’ shows that Afghan women have strength, talent and potential and it becomes very obvious when one reads these stories.” For many Afghan women, storytelling is not only an art form but a declaration of survival.
Organizations like PEN International also extended support by offering emergency funds, relocation assistance and accessible writing platforms. Their outreach programs helped ensure that Afghan women’s voices are not lost, even as the Taliban tries to silence them.
Through resilience, solidarity and new forms of publishing, Afghan women continue to fight back against censorship and erasure. Their stories stand as both a critique of the regime and a testament to a future where Afghan women will not be silenced.
GET INVOLVED:
The following organizations are working to support displaced writers and free expression around the world. Getting involved helps amplify these silenced voices and keep their stories alive.
Learn more about PEN International.
Learn more about Untold Narratives.
Kennedy Kiser
Kennedy is an English and Comparative Literature major at UNC Chapel Hill. She’s interested in storytelling, digital media, and narrative design. Outside of class, she writes fiction and explores visual culture through film and games. She hopes to pursue a PhD and eventually teach literature! @kennedy_kiser