Parween Pazhwak: Longing to fly under the Afghan almond trees
– Afghanistan
Parween Pazhwak (* 1967, Kabul) is an Afghan artist, poetess and writer who writes in Persian. She was born into a literary and politically active family. She graduated from the French-taught Lycée Malalai and completed studying medicine at the Avicenna Medical Institute. After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, she spent two years in Pakistan as a refugee and then applied for asylum to Canada and moved there. She lives in Ontario with her husband and children. She considers her student years to be the best time of her life, and life in exile as the most difficult time.
Parween Pazhwak writes poetry and short stories and creates paintings for children. She has published eleven books; the most famous ones are Darya dar Shabnam (Oceans in Dew) and Negin-ha wa Setara-ha (Gems and Stars).