The author of the global bestseller The Bookseller of Kabul, Åsne Seierstad, shares her insights into ordinary life in Afghanistan following the return of the Taliban.

In her international bestseller The Bookseller of Kabul, award-winning journalist Åsne Seierstad studied life in Afghanistan before and after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. Now twenty years later, the Taliban is back in power, and Seierstad joins us live in London to help us understand the country’s past, present and future through the lives of three unforgettable people.

Seierstad will introduce us to three people whose lives have been shaped by the fall and rise of the Taliban – Jamila, Bashir and Ariana – as well their families, friends, foes and co-fighters. Jamila is a women’s rights activist; Bashir is a Taliban commander; Ariana is a law student who had one semester left when the Taliban came to power.

The stories of these three Afghans encompass love, loss, revolt and war as well as the everyday rhythms of family life. Through them, we will come to understand the lead-up to the Taliban retaking power in 2021, how the first year of Taliban rule unfolded, and where this leaves Afghans today, and tomorrow.

Tickets to this event are half price for members to How To +, and members can also watch the livestream for free.