Atiq Rahimi was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1962.
A writer, photographer and film-maker, Rahimi studied first at the “Estiqlal” Franco-Afghan High School and later at the Faculty of Literature at the University of Kabul.
In 1984, after the Soviet invasion, Rahimi fled Afghanistan, finding refuge first in Pakistan and later in France, where he requested and was granted political asylum and subsequently citizenship.
In Paris he enrolled at the Sorbonne and was awarded a Masters’ Degree in Cinema and audio-visual communication. After graduating, he began to work with a Paris-based production company, where he made a number of commercials and several documentaries for French television, including À chacun son journal (1998), Zaher Shah, le royaume de l’exil (2000), Nous avons partagé le pain et le sel (2001) and (A)fghanistan: Un État impossible (2002).
Towards the end of the 1990s, Rahimi embarked on his first writing project. His 2000 book Khâkestar o khâk (Earth and Ashes), was written in Dari – the Persian language used in Afghanistan – and became an instant best-seller. It was translated into many languages, giving Rahimi international fame. A film based on the book, directed by Rahimi himself, won the Prix du Regard vers l’Avenir at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, as well as many other awards.
Now dividing his time between film-making and writing, Rahimi published two more novels in his native language: in 2002, Hezar Khane and Khab Va Ekhtenagh (Les mille maisons du rêve et de la terreur) and in 2004 Tassvir va tassavore bazghasht (Le retour imaginaire). In 2008 he completed the first of his novels written directly in French: Syngué sabour. Pierre de patience (The Patience Stone), which very quickly became the literary event of the year and won him the prestigious Prix Goncourt. This work, too, was made into a film which was directed by the author, who also worked with Jean-Claude Carrière on the screenplay. The film premiered in 2013 and was received with enthusiasm by critics and the public alike. It was presented at several film festivals and won a number of awards, including the César Award for Best Actress won by leading actress Golshifteh Farahani.
In 2011 Rahimi published Maudit soit Dostoïevski (A Curse on Dostoevsky), and in 2015 La ballade du calame (Grammar of an Exile) and, with illustrator Olivier Charpentier, a children’s fable, Compte comme moi!. His most recent work (2017) is another book for children: Dessine moi un Dieu (Draw Me a God), illustrated by Bruno Salamone.
Atiq Rahimi currently lives and works in Paris.
Khâkestar-o-khâk (Earth and Ashes)
translated by Babak Karimi and Mahshid Moussavi Asl
Turin, Einaudi, 2002
Les mille maisons du rêve et de la terreur (A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear)
translated by Babak Karimi
Turin, Einaudi, 2003
Le retour imaginaire
translated by Babak Karimi and Susan Bayani
Turin, Einaudi, 2004
Pierre de patience (The Patience Stone)
translated by Yasmina Melaouah
Turin, Einaudi, 2009
Maudit soit Dostoïevksi (A Curse on Dostoevsky)
translated by Yasmina Melaouah
Turin, Einaudi, 2012
La ballade du calame (Grammar of an Exile)
translated by Ester Borgese
Udine, BEE, 2018
Compte comme moi!
text by Atiq Rahimi
illustrations by Olivier Charpentier
Paris, Actes Sud Junior, 2015
Dessine moi un Dieu (Draw Me a God)
text by Atiq Rahimi
illustrations by Bruno Salamone
Paris, Actes Sud Junior, 2017
FILMS
À chacun son journal
script and screenplay by: Atiq Rahimi and Vassili Silovic
type: documentary
year: 1998
Zaher Shah, le royaume de l’exil
script by: Atiq Rahimi
directed by: Atiq Rahimi
type: documentary
year: 2000
Nous avons partagé le pain et le sel
script by: Atiq Rahimi and Mana Mulyana
directed by: Atiq Rahimi
Afghanistan 2001
type: documentary
year: 2001
(A)fghanistan: Un État impossible
script and screenplay by: Atiq Rahimi
directed by: Atiq Rahimi
graphics: Jacques Bresse, Sabrina Varani and Atiq Rahimi
type: documentary
year: 2002
Terre et cendres (Earth and Ashes)
original title: Khakestar-o-Khak
subject taken from the homonymous novel by Atiq Rahimi
directed by: Atiq Rahimi
screenplay: Atiq Rahimi and Kambuzia Partovi
featuring: Abdul Ghani, Jawan Mard Homayoun, Walli Tallosh,
Guilda Chahverdi, Kader Arefi, Sher Agah, Mirza Hussein, Azim
type: drama
year: 2004
Pierre de patience (The Patience Stone)
original title: Syngué Sabour
based on the novel The Patience Stone by Atiq Rahimi
directed by: Atiq Rahimi
screenplay: Jean Claude Carrière and Atiq Rahimi
featuring: Golshifteh Farahani, Hamid Djavadan, Massi Mrowat,
Hassina Burgan, Al Maghraoui
type: drama
year: 2012