On The Word, Harriett Gilbert speaks with Nadeem Aslam, a Pakistani author, whose latest book, 'The Wasted Vigil', is set in Afghanistan. How did he write with such clarity about the landscape and people without visiting the country first? We hear from a Burundian refugee in north west Tanzania who explains how a library brought him hope. Plus how important is silence in literature? Author Sara Maitland explains her 'Book of Silence'.

Books List

Title: The Wasted Vigil (Hardback)
Author: Nadeem Aslam
Publisher: Faber and Faber
ISBN- 978-0-571-23877-4

Title: A Book of Silence (Hardback)
Author: Sara Maitland
Publisher: Granta Books
ISBN- 978-1-84708-042-4

Click here to install Real Audio

Each week presenter Harriett Gilbert meets novelists, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, copywriters and book-sellers as she looks at the myriad world of writing.
© Copyright 2008, BBC. All rights reserved.