Khalilullah Khalili

Khalilullah Khalili (1907–1987) was the national poet of Afghanistan and one of the most important literary figures in Afghan history. Born in Kabul, he wrote over 80 books of poetry, prose, and translations. His poetry spans themes of love, patriotism, nature, and Sufi spirituality. He was the personal poet to King Zahir Shah and served as Afghanistan's cultural ambassador worldwide. Khalili was the first Afghan to receive the Lotus Prize for Literature from the Afro-Asian Writers' Association. He spent the last years of his life in exile in Iran and the UK. His poetry continues to be the most widely read and quoted in Afghanistan.