We meet on the first Wednesday of the month, 7-8pm. Next meeting is on Wednesday 2nd6th JulyAugust 2008.

Please note: due to building work the library entrance has moved to the side of the building.

We are a mixed age group , who enjoy reading and discussing our opinions over a nice brew, in a relaxed and friendly environment. We are definitely not a quiet bunch, we share all opinions whether they are good or bad, and have fun doing so! The library is free to join, and copies of our chosen books are available for loan. You don't need to buy your own copies of the books.

Come along to our next meeting, or join in the discussion on line.

Watch out for on line chat, news, reviews and videos!

This Month's Book:

"The Bookseller Of Kabul" By Asne Seierstad.


What's it about?

For more than 20 years Sultan Khan defied the authorities to supply books to the people of Kabul. He was arrested, interrogated and imprisoned, and watched illiterate solidiers burn piles of his books in the street.

In spring 2002 award-winning journalist Asne Seierstad spent 4 months living with the bookseller and his family. As Seierstad steps back from the page and lets the Khans tell their stories, we learn of proposals and marriages, hope and fear, crime and punishment. The result is a unique portrait of a family and a country.



Reviews and information from the Richard & Judy Bookclub:

About the Book

Two weeks after September 11th, award-winning journalist Asne Seierstad went to Afghanistan to report on the conflict there. In the following spring she returned to live with an Afghan family for several months. For more than 20 years Sultan Khan defied the authorities - be they Communist or Taliban - in order to supply books to the people of Kabul. He was arrested, interrogated and imprisoned by the Communists, and watched illiterate Taliban soldiers burn piles of his books in the street. He even resorted to hiding most of his stock in attics all over Kabul. But while Khan is passionate in his love of books and hatred of censorship, he is also a committed Muslim with strict views on family life. As an outsider, Seierstad is able to move between the private world of the women - including Khan's two wives - and the more public lives of the men. And so we learn of proposals and marriages, suppression and abuse of power, crime and punishment. The result is a moving portrait of a family and a clear-eyed assessment of a country struggling to free itself from history.


Average Rating from 2 reviews

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About the Author - Asne Seierstad


Åsne Seierstad (born February 10, 1970) is a Norwegian freelance journalist who has written a bestseller and her work has been translated into 38 languages. She studied Russian, Spanish, and the history of Philosophy at Oslo University. She worked as a correspondent in Russia between 1993 and 1996. She then worked as a correspondent in China in 1997. In 2001 she followed the Northern Alliance into Kabul after the fall of the Taliban government.



Click on the links to find out more Afganistan information.

Read more about Asne Seierstad.

See video clip of Asne Seierstad.



Add your comments about this book in our discussion forum.

We will be discussing "The Bookseller Of Kabul" between 7-8pm on Wednesday 2nd6th JulyAugust 2008. Come along and join us. Everyone Welcome!

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