Armed with a torch

During our second interview for the book, Otholi showed me the bowl, cup and jug, decorated with beadwork by his wife Ariet, that his family had brought from Ethiopia. He...

The land was really good

‘The land was really good,’ says Otholi. He smiles as he says this, enunciating the words slowly, drawing them out, lingering on his memory of the land, the...

The curious scribbler meets the rug-maker

‘Would you like some tea?’ asks Najaf, the rug-maker of Mazar-e-Sharif. I accept his offer gratefully as I step into his shop – Afghan Traditional Rugs...