|
 Neela Sakaria: Thank you for your time, Dr. Wilson. Given your science and background, can you tell our readers what inspired you to write such a timely book, WINTER IN KANDAHAR?
Dr. Steven Wilson: The inspiration for WINTER IN KANDAHAR came from my admiration for Commander Ahmad Shah Masood, the Lion of Panjshir, and the event of 9/11. Commander Massoud was the brilliant and inspirational leader of the Northern Alliance forces in Afghanistan who had battled the occupying Soviet forces during the 1980's and then fought the Taliban domination right up until his assassination by al-Qaeda operatives two days before 9/11. It is believed that bin Laden ordered Massoud's assassination in preparation for 9/11, knowing that America would likely invade through the north of Afghanistan and hoping that by eliminating the Northern Alliance leader they could overrun the north before U.S. forces could mobilize. Ahmed Jan, the Tajik central character in WINTER IN KANDAHAR, meets with Commander Massoud just prior to the assassination. This brief encounter, and Massoud's untimely death, has a powerful and lasting influence on Ahmed Jan.
Neela: How would you classify the book -- would you call it fiction or reality-based fiction?
SW: WIK is reality-based fiction that is true to the events that occurred in Afghanistan and throughout the World prior to and following 9/11. But it is much more than this. It is an epic adventure novel and it's a poignant romance novel. It's a story about what happens to people when their lives are forever changed by World-altering events. It is also a story of hope.
Neela: How long did it take you to write WINTER IN KANDAHAR, and are you pleased with the results? What kind of research was involved? Have you been to Kandahar?
SW: It took just over a year to write WINTER IN KANDAHAR and I am delighted with the results. WIK is my first published novel, but it is not my first novel. Price of Privilege, the saga of a physician who is accused, tried, and convicted of murdering his wife on the basis of tainted DNA evidence was the first. I plan to publish Price of Privilege some time in the future. I read extensively about the Afghanistan, the Tajiks and Pashtun, the CIA, and al-Qaeda in preparation for WIK. I read volumes of web-based information available on Afghanistan, Kabul, Kandahar, the Khyber Pass, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Karachi. Many of the best sites are linked at our website www.winterinkandahar.com. Through these wonderful websites, for example Luke Powell's fabulous site at www.lukepowell.com, you can visit Kandahar. I have not yet been to Kandahar, but I've been to other cities in Asia and the Middle East and other venues in WIK, such as Amsterdam, Venice, Seattle, and Vancouver.
Neela: I was struck by your use of detailed and descriptive language throughout the book. Was this intentional given that the book's setting is one that is foreign to most American readers?
SW: I believe this is my writing style. I want the reader to feel he or she is in a truck riding into Kandahar or through the Khyber Pass. I want them to feel the terror of incarceration in a squalid prison in Rawalpindi and the magic of cruising on the Grand Canal in a Gondola during Carnavale in Venice (Yes, I have!). I want them to experience the beauty and intrigue of Amsterdam and the grandeur of the Pacific Northwestern United States and Canada. One of the great aspects of writing a novel like WINTER IN KANDAHAR is that, through my words and the reader's imagination, I can transport people to places they may never have the chance to visit.
Neela: What are four words you would use to describe Kandahar and the people there?
SW: PROUD- be they Tajik, Pashtun, or the half-dozen other groups that make up Kandahar and Afghanistan, they are proud of their ancient heritage and their way of life. RESILENT-the men and women of Kandahar have suffered the invasions of scores of armies over the centuries, and still they rebound and carry on with their unique way of life. HEROIC- their reputation of being fierce fighters is not just pretense. DEVOUT- the men and women of Kandahar and Afghanistan are utterly committed to their God.
Neela: What do you see as Ahmed's greatest strength and biggest weakness in the book?
SW: Ahmed Jan is a dreamer who believes in a peaceful future for the Tajik people and all people of Afghanistan (at least early on). He is courageous and matures into a great leader of men. He is persistent in the face of overwhelming odds. He has a kind heart and complete devotion for his true love. These are also his biggest weaknesses.
Neela: Is there anything new that you learned about Afghanistan in the process of writing this book? If so, what?
SW: How do I begin to answer this question? Before I began preparing to write WINTER IN KANDAHAR I was familiar with Commander Massoud and the remarkable story of the CIA supported resistance to the Soviet occupation. However, I knew almost nothing about the wonderful and colorful people of Afghanistan- Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek, and others. I have learned so much about their way of life and the age-old conflicts that have brought us to the present day situation in the war torn country. I knew relatively little about the rich history of central Asia and the central role it has played in history. I knew little about how Afghanistan came to play a central role in the World-altering events of 9/11. I am most grateful for what this project taught me about the Islamic religion. At its heart, Islam is a peaceful religion that has been hijacked by a small group of fundamentalist zealots. We should not seek revenge on the masses of peace-loving Muslims for the transgressions of these few. Those who read WINTER IN KANDAHAR will come away with a better understanding of all these things.
Neela: You are working on a sequel, SUMMER IN KANDAHAR, correct? Without giving too much away, what can readers expect from this next book?
SW: Actually, my newest book is tentatively titled SPRINGTIME IN KURDISTAN. It is nearly finished and I expect it will be published in late 2004. It is not a sequel. It is the story of the Kurds in northern Iraq and the recent Iraqi war, as seen through the eyes of Stone Waverly (CIA operative), Jalal Rashid (young Peshmerga fighter), two American Special Forces soldiers (Tommy Waters and Bob Bates), and a host of other characters. The only thing the two novels have in common is that Stone Waverly returns from WINTER IN KANDAHAR to take a more central role in SPRINGTIME IN KURDISTAN.
Neela: Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers? What is it that you hope they take away from reading this book?
SW: I hope readers will find WINTER IN KANDAHAR to be an engrossing and fast-paced adventure-romance story that also teaches something about the World we live in. The review of WIK written by Joan Phelps of Lucky Press best captures what I hoped to accomplish. Joan wrote "Wilson's fictional account of universal, underlying and timeless human passions and driving forces is a gift to readers, who want more than news accounts of current events facing our world."
Winter in Kandahar
ISBN: 0972948007
|
