"This book charts the development of Afghan literature in the modern era, covering both poetry and prose, and relating it to social, economic and political change in that country." Winner of the Iranian World Prize for Book of the Year in Islamics Studies 2009

"The literary history of Afghanistan in the 20th century has received little attention so far. The process of transmission and reception of modernity itself is one of the many lacunae in our knowledge of the cultural setting in Afghanistan. Wali Ahmadi's account of the development of modern Persian literature stands as a first, noteworthy step towards rectifying this situation. In his citation-laden introduction he makes it clear that he considers the dissemination of modernity in Afghanistan to have been at once a selective and an active process... This book provides a useful introduction to and a selective overview of the literary history of Afghanistan in the 20th century... Wali Ahmadi is to be commended for dedicating himself to this complex task." - Christine Noelle-Karimi; Middle Eastern Literatures: incorporating Edebiyat, 13:1, 117-119 (2011).