On April 19th, the Aspen Words Literary Prize was awarded to Jamil Jan Kochai for his collection, The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories.

The Aspen Words Literary Prize is an annual award given by the nonprofit literary organization Aspen Words in partnership with NPR for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.

The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories, follows a collection of Afghani characters between modern-day Afghanistan and contemporary America as they grapple with guilt and displacement, and filter their parents’ experiences of war.