Qais Akbar Omar

The surprising, stunning book that took the publishing world by storm: a coming-of-age memoir of unimaginable perils and unexpected joys, steeped in the rhythms of folk tales and poetry, that is as unforgettable as it is rare--a treasure for readers. Qais Akbar Omar was born in Kabul in a time of relative peace. Until he was 7, he lived with his father, a high school physics teacher, and mother, a bank manager, in the spacious, garden-filled compound his grandfather had built. Noisy with the laughter of his cousins (with whom they lived in the typical Afghan style), fragrant with the scent of roses and apple blossoms, and rich in shady, tucked-away spots where Qais and his grandfather sat and read, home was the idyllic centre of their quiet, comfortable life. But in the wake of the Russian withdrawal and the bloody civil conflict that erupted, his family was forced to flee and take refuge in the legendary Fort of Nine Towers, a centuries-old palace in the hills on the far side of Kabul. On a perilous trip home, Omar and his father were kidnapped, narrowly escaping, and the family fled again, his parents leading their 6 children on a remarkable, sometimes wondrous journey. Hiding inside the famous giant Bamiyan Buddhas sculpture, and among Kurchi herders, Omar cobbles together an education, learning the beautiful art of carpet-weaving from a deaf mute girl, which will become the family's means of support. Against a backdrop of uncertainty, violence and absurdity, young Qais Omar weaves together a story--and a self--that is complex, colourful, and profound.

An Afghan Family Story

A Fort of Nine Towers

obiteljska priča dječaka iz Afganistana

Utvrda s devet kula

Stephen Landrigan

In 2005, everything seemed possible in Afghanistan. The Taliban was gone. A new government had been elected. A cultural renaissance was energizing the country. An actress visiting from Paris casually proposed to some Afghan actors in Kabul: Why not put on a play? The challenges were huge. It had been thirty years since men and women had appeared on stage together in Afghanistan. Was the country ready for it? Few Afghan actors had ever done theater. Did they even know how? They had performed only in films and television dramas. Still, a company of actors gathered—among them a housewife, a policewoman, and a street kid turned film star. With no certainty of its outcome, they set out on a journey that would have life-changing consequences for all of them, and along the way lead to A Night in the Emperor’s Garden.

A True Story of Hope and Resilience in Afghanistan

A Night in the Emperor's Garden

In 2005, a group of actors in Kabul performed Shakespeare's Love’s Labour's Lost to the cheers of Afghan audiences and the raves of foreign journalists. For the first time in years, men and women had appeared onstage together. The future held no limits, the actors believed. In this fast-moving, fondly told and frequently very funny account, Qais Akbar Omar and Stephen Landrigan capture the triumphs and foibles of the actors as they extend their Afghan passion for poetry to Shakespeare's.Both authors were part of the production. Qais, a journalist, served as Assistant Director and interpreter for Paris actress, Corinne Jaber, who had come to Afghanistan on holiday and returned to direct the play. Stephen, himself a playwright, assembled a team of Afghan translators to fashion a script in Dari as poetic as Shakespeare's. This chronicle of optimism plays out against the heartbreak of knowing that things in Afghanistan have not turned out the way the actors expected.

Shakespeare in Kabul

Twintig jaar geleden was Kaboel een fraaie stad, waar de zevenjarige Qais Akbar Omar vliegerde op het dak van zijn grootvader. Maar dan breekt de burgeroorlog uit. Zijn grootvaders huis ligt in de vuurlinie, dus zoekt de familie een veiliger onderdak in een oud fort aan de rand van de stad. Wanneer het gevaarlijk blijft in Kaboel, besluit Qais vader met zijn gezin Afghanistan te ontvluchten. Een avontuurlijke tocht naar de grens volgt, waarbij ze onder meer verblijven in de grotten achter de reusachtige Boeddhabeelden in Bamiyan en een tijdje meetrekken met een nomadenstam. Terwijl zijn vader tevergeefs zoekt naar smokkelaars om hen over de grens te brengen, leert Qais een doofstomme tapijtmaakster kennen. Zijn leven zal door deze ontmoeting voor altijd anders zijn. Het Fort met de negen torens is niet alleen een uitzonderlijk boek over een prachtig land dat wordt verscheurd door oorlog, maar ook het bewijs dat verhalen mensen kracht kunnen geven, troosten en met elkaar verbinden.

Het fort met de negen torens

Die Welt horchte auf, als nach der Befreiung von der Talibanherrschaft eine Gruppe afghanischer Schauspielerinnen und Schauspieler Shakespeares Verlorene Liebesmüh in Kabul aufführte. Zum ersten Mal seit über dreißig Jahren standen Männer und Frauen – unverschleiert – gemeinsam auf einer Bühne und spielten eine Liebeskomödie! Nichts hätte die Welle der Hoffnung, die in der Zeit nach den Taliban durch das Land zog, mitreißender verdeutlichen können. Aber während der intensiven Proben tauchen ungeahnte Konflikte und neue Bedrohungen auf. Für jeden einzelnen Teilnehmer wird das Projekt zu einer existenziellen Herausforderung. Die Schauspielerinnen und Schauspieler bringen sich und ihre Familien in Gefahr. Die europäische Regisseurin findet sich bei der Arbeit nicht zurecht in den afghanischen Traditionen. Alte Wunden und traumatische Erfahrungen aus der Kriegs- und Terrorzeit brechen wieder auf. Shakespeares Text, der dramatische Alltag in Kabul und die globalen Konflikte der Kulturen überkreuzen sich mit dem Schicksal der Beteiligten. Bis zuletzt ist unsicher, ob die Premiere zum Triumph oder zur Katastrophe wird.

Ein Aufbruch in drei Akten

Impossibile non leggere questo libro straordinarioIl romanzo di una storia veraPotente è la parola che sussurrerai dopo aver letto l'ultima paginaDopo un lungo viaggio in Afghanistan, l'attrice francese Corinne Jaber decide di mettere in scena a Kabul Pene d'amor perdute di Shakespeare.Il primo scoglio che deve affrontare è il testo, non esistono infatti traduzioni in Dari dell’immortale poeta inglese. E poi bisogna trovare gli attori: sfilano davanti agli occhi di Corinne e dei suoi collaboratori persone dalle più diverse provenienze sociali, tutte disposte a rischiare, e molto, pur di realizzare un sogno. Ci sono anche le donne, consapevoli dei pericoli cui vanno incontro in un Paese in cui mai si è vista una donna sul palcoscenico insieme agli uomini. Grazie al coraggio e alla passione di tutti, in mezzo a mille difficoltà, Pene d’amor perdute prende forma, gli attori si rivelano geniali, e capiscono che il grande e lontano Shakespeare ha scritto una commedia “afghana”, tanto la sua ironia, la leggerezza e la poesia sono vicine alla loro cultura. Ma in che modo verrà accolta la commedia in un Paese dove guerra, violenza e discriminazioni sono all’ordine del giorno? Amore per la conoscenza, desiderio di elevarsi al di sopra della terribile realtà quotidiana e di mettersi alla prova in qualcosa di mai tentato e sperato, solidarietà con i propri simili, si fondono in una storia dalla quale è difficile staccarsi anche quando si è finito di leggerla.Una storia realmente accadutaDiffidenza, avversione e sottomissione culturale saranno gli ostacoli che i protagonisti dovranno affrontare per realizzare un miracolo«Appassionante, commovente, divertente, candido. Il resoconto della prima coraggiosa produzione di Shakespeare in Afghanistan.»«Un libro sorprendente, che racconta come sia possibile amare Shakespeare in Afghanistan. Una scelta coraggiosa e radicale.»«Impossibile non leggere questo libro straordinario. È la prova che si può fare cultura anche in un Paese tanto difficile.»Akbar Omar Qaisè nato nel 1982. È un linguista e ha lavorato come giornalista e traduttore per le Nazioni Unite e per le Forze Armate degli Stati Uniti. Durante il regime talebano ha gestito una fabbrica di tappeti dando lavoro a più di quaranta donne.Stephen Landriganè un ex giornalista che ha lavorato per il «Washington Post» e la BBC Radio, tra gli altri. Ha vissuto e lavorato in Afghanistan per diversi anni, ora vive in Massachusetts, dove prepara giovani donne afghane perché possano essere ammesse nelle principali università americane.

Qais Akbar Omar

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