In December 2025, Untold Narratives invited Booker-shortlisted Somali British novelist Nadifa Mohamed to begin an exchange of letters with Maryam Mahjoba (pen name), a young Afghan fiction writer, living in Kabul. Three sets of letters have been exchanged thus far, with Maryam’s letters being translated for Nadifa — and now for us — from Dari into English by Abdul Bacet Khurram. ‘How We Measure Time’ is the first set of letters in the exchange.
As the world around them changes, through the seasons, and through political and social changes, they discuss gardens, drought, and shifting landscapes as symbols of personal history and cultural erosion. They also share the hope that they will meet in person one day.
Maryam’s letters were translated for Nadifa, from Dari into English by Abdul Bacet Khurram.
The Paranda Network writer development programme is supported by KFW Stiftung.
