The very first writing in the region now known as Afghanistan can be traced back to the Pre-Islamic era and the Zoroastrian texts from the Avesta.  Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest organized religions, and the Avesta was their holy book.

Around the 7th century and the time of the Islamic concquest, Arabic became a prominent language in the region, however there was a strong Persian influence from the 7th-12th century that gave rise to poets such as Ferdowsi, and Rudaki, who is regarded as the “father of Persian poetry.”

Moving into the modern era, Pashto is one of Afghanistan’s major languages, and the works of Khushal Khan Khattak and Rahman Baba are considered major influences in modern Afghani literature, writing about themes such as love, war, mysticism, and philosophy.

Today, as is the case with many Middle Eastern countries, the 20th century was marked by colonialism and international war, which has produced a plethora of works in both nonfiction and fiction, covering topics like genocide, racism, terrorism, and ethnic cleansing.