'We can't give up on Afghans': Lyse Doucet on the remarkable 'people's history' that won her the Women's prize
The BBC's chief international correspondent was awarded the prestigious nonfiction prize for The Finest Hotel in Kabul – which she hopes will bring more attention to the Taliban's draconian treatment of women
TL;DR
- Lyse Doucet's book, 'The Finest Hotel in Kabul,' won the Women's prize for nonfiction.
- The book uses the Intercontinental Hotel as a lens to tell Afghanistan's modern history, from Soviet withdrawal to Taliban rule.
- Doucet hopes the prize will bring attention to the country, particularly the severe restrictions on women and girls' education and rights under the Taliban.
- She argues against dismissing the achievements of the post-2001 period, which created a more educated and connected generation.
- Doucet highlights the courage of Afghan women and the obstacles they face, including visa restrictions for scholarships.
- She suggests that engagement with the Taliban, rather than isolation, might be more effective, though change must come from within.
- The article contrasts Kabul's past vibrancy in the 1960s and 70s with its current state.
- Key hotel staff members are featured as central figures in the narrative, representing the resilience of the Afghan people.