Afghan-French Author Atiq Rahimi Releases Novel 'I Am Kabuliwala' in France

Afghan-French author Atiq Rahimi has released a new French-language novel titled 'I Am Kabuliwala,' published by Éditions P.O.L in Paris. The book reimagines the classic story 'Kabuliwala' by Indian Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, blending elements of exile, cinema, and survival.

The narrative follows a filmmaker who travels to Kolkata to shoot an adaptation of the Kabuliwala tale. Production efforts collapse amid disputes with producers and other obstacles, leaving the protagonist emotionally drained and separated from his family in France. In a moment of deep despair by the Ganges River, the filmmaker contemplates suicide before encountering Rahmat, the iconic Kabuliwala character.

Rahmat serves as a mirror to the narrator, reflecting shared experiences of exile, memory, loss, and existence between fiction and fragmented realities. The novel transforms despair into hope through these encounters, continuing Rahimi's exploration of displacement, identity, and human survival via layered storytelling that merges cinema and literature.

Rahimi has previously earned international acclaim for works addressing war and exile, including recognition from France linked to the Académie Goncourt for literary achievement.

Tagore's original 'Kabuliwala,' set in Kolkata, depicts the emotional bond between an Afghan migrant and a child, highlighting themes of migrant loneliness and universal parental love across cultures. The story has remained globally admired for its portrayal of humanity, nationalism, and cross-cultural compassion.

Rahimi's novel reconnects contemporary experiences of exile with Tagore's timeless narrative, illustrating literature's role in bridging memory, migration, and human hope.