Khaled Hosseini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Khaled Hosseini
Hosseini in 2013
Native name	خالد حسینی
Born	(1965-03-04) March 4, 1965 (age 60) Kabul, Afghanistan
Occupation	Novelist, physician
Citizenship	United States
Education	Santa Clara University (BS) University of California, San Diego (MD)
Period	2003–present (as an author)
Genre	Fiction
Notable works	The Kite Runner A Thousand Splendid Suns
Spouse	Roya Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini (born March 4, 1965) is a famous Afghan-American writer and a former doctor. He is also a special ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). His books, like The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, are very popular. They often tell stories about people and life in Afghanistan. Hosseini's novels have helped many people learn about Afghanistan's culture and its people.

Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. His father was a diplomat, which means he worked for his country in other nations. Because of his father's job, Khaled lived in Iran and France for a short time. When he was 15, his family moved to the United States and became citizens there. Hosseini did not go back to Afghanistan until 2003. This experience of leaving and returning is similar to what happens to characters in his books. He has said he felt a bit guilty for being able to leave Afghanistan before the wars started there.

After college, Hosseini worked as a doctor in California for over ten years. When his first book, The Kite Runner, became a huge success, he was able to stop practicing medicine and become a full-time writer. All three of his novels have been very popular. The Kite Runner was on The New York Times Best Seller list for a long time. His second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, was also a number one bestseller. His third novel, And the Mountains Echoed, was also very successful. Besides writing, Hosseini works to help refugees. He even started the Khaled Hosseini Foundation with the UNHCR to support Afghan refugees.

Early Life and School

Growing Up in Afghanistan

Khaled Hosseini was born on March 4, 1965, in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was the oldest of five children. His father worked as a diplomat, and his mother was a teacher. Both of his parents were from Herat. Hosseini has said he has both Pashtun and Tajik family roots. He remembers his childhood as being very good. He lived in a nice neighborhood in Kabul and often flew kites with his cousins. He remembers Kabul as a busy and modern city.

In 1970, when Khaled was five, his family moved to Iran because of his father's job. They returned to Kabul in 1973. In 1976, when Khaled was 11, his family moved to Paris, France. They could not go back to Afghanistan after a big change in the government there in 1978. In 1980, after a war started in Afghanistan, his family asked for political asylum in the United States. They settled in San Jose, California. When Hosseini first came to the U.S. at age 15, he did not speak English. He described it as a big "culture shock" and felt very alone at first.

Even though they were far away, his family knew about the difficult times their friends and relatives faced in Afghanistan. Many people were arrested or disappeared. This made a deep impact on Hosseini and later influenced his writing.

Education and Medical Career

Hosseini finished high school in San Jose in 1984. He then went to Santa Clara University and earned a degree in biology in 1988. The next year, he started medical school at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and became a doctor in 1993. He completed his medical training in 1997. He worked as a doctor for more than ten years, even after his first book was published.

Writing Career

Popular Novels

Hosseini with President George W Bush and First Lady Laura Bush

Khaled Hosseini with actors from The Kite Runner, Bahram and Elham Ehsas

In 2003, Hosseini published his first novel, The Kite Runner. It tells the story of a young boy named Amir who wants to connect more with his father. The book is set in Afghanistan and also in California. The Kite Runner was the best-selling novel in the United States in 2005. It was also made into a movie in 2007. Hosseini even had a small role in the movie.

His second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, came out in 2007. This story is also set in Afghanistan. It looks at similar themes as his first book, but from the point of view of two women, Mariam and Laila. Their lives become linked after Mariam's husband marries Laila. The story takes place during a difficult time in Afghanistan's history. This novel was also very successful and its movie rights were bought by a film company.

Hosseini's third novel, And the Mountains Echoed, was released on May 21, 2013. Before it came out, Hosseini said that family is always a main theme in his writing. He explained that his new book was about brothers and sisters and how they love, hurt, and help each other.

Work with UNHCR

Khaled Hosseini is a Goodwill Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This means he helps raise awareness and support for refugees. He works with the Khaled Hosseini Foundation to provide help to people in Afghanistan. The idea for his foundation came from a trip he took to Afghanistan in 2007 with the UNHCR. His organization helps raise money to build homes for refugees returning to Afghanistan.

In 2018, Hosseini released a short story with pictures called Sea Prayer. He wrote it after hearing about a sad event where a young refugee child drowned while trying to reach Europe. Money from the sales of Sea Prayer goes to the UNHCR and the Khaled Hosseini Foundation.

What Inspired Him

When he was a child, Hosseini loved reading Persian poetry. He especially enjoyed the works of famous poets like Rumi and Hafez. He also mentioned that a Persian translation of Jack London's White Fang was a big influence on him. He also liked translations of books like Alice in Wonderland. For music, he was inspired by the Afghan singer Ahmad Zahir, whom he called "the Afghan Elvis."

Personal Life

Khaled Hosseini is married to Roya, and they have two children. They live in Northern California. He can speak Persian and Pashto fluently. He describes himself as a secular Muslim, meaning he follows the religion but also believes in separating religion from government.

Awards and Honors

Khaled Hosseini has received several awards for his writing and his work. In 2008, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. In 2014, he received the John Steinbeck Award from San Jose State University.

See also

In Spanish: Khaled Hosseini para niños

• List of best-selling fiction authors