Timely piece from Publishing Perpectives:

In Afghanistan, Women Writers Confront Taboos and Terrorism
By Masha Hamilton

I woke up one day this week to an email from my colleague in Kabul. Many of the women who write for the Afghan Women's Writing Project blog, he said, would probably not be participating for a few days. Typically once or twice a week, the AWWP writers send in essays, poems, and news reports from computers at offices where they work, or Kabul University, or an Internet café - which they can visit only in the company of a male relative.But now, as Afghans head to the polls, a campaign by the Taliban to discredit the current Afghan government has led to a sharp rise in the number of suicide bombings. "Rumors of more are rife," wrote my colleague, an American who has spent the last five years living in Afghanistan.
Central Kabul is thought to be a likely target, so offices have rolled down their shutters and people have hunkered down, at least until the voting is over. (read on ...)

Bonus Material: Essays from the Afghan Women's Writing Project
By Edward Nawotka

The Afghan Women's Writing Project offers young writers the opportunity to express themselves in a form that was forbidden under the Taliban.
The situation for these writers remains precarious, yet they persist in pursuing their craft and having their stories told. Afghan Women's Writing Project founder Masha Hamilton has offered these samples of the work of some of the Project's participants."If you have a moment to read some of their pieces, please do, and please comment," she says. "They appreciate the connection. It's part of our joint effort to keep their voices free, no matter what befalls Afghanistan." (read on ...)