The Blood of Things

“A book of aching beauty and remarkable insight. Aram writes with impressive depth on issues both intensely personal and political—in Afghanistan and far beyond. This is a writer to watch; poetry and passion flow from his pen.” Lyse Doucet, author of The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan

“In this breathtaking collection, poetry lives alongside death, laughter alongside immeasurable loss. Jamaluddin Aram writes with clarity and grace, weaving together memory and history as he envisions a country where justice and hope can flourish. Here is a book devoted to the dignity of the most vulnerable.” Janika Oza, author of A History of Burning

“Jamaluddin Aram turns the senselessness of war, the cruelty of exile and the pain of persecution into exquisite and compelling prose. The Blood of Things is a truly accomplished collection of writing from one of the most exciting new voices in literature.” Carol Off, author of At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage

“Aram writes enchantingly about memory and the role it serves refugees and exiles in their search for relevance and meaning in new lands. The vignettes and anecdotes woven through his essays move, dazzle—and sting. Aram writes to immortalize and honour, and to reclaim: memory a most important battleground for justice.” Mujib Mashal, South Asia bureau chief, The New York Times

“This beautiful, at times enraged, at times intimate collection, defies convention; through his words, Aram creates a shared experience and understanding of a people and a country he has had to leave behind.” Quill & Quire