Silk Road Series #1
150 x 210 mm, 50 pages
London, UK
Annual
First published 2024
Editor and art director: Sahar Rabbani
‘Stories of home’
Centring the everyday lived experiences of London's Afghan diaspora, the petite and glossy Silk Road Series seeks to play its part in the preservation of Afghan culture and tradition, by ‘revisiting the cultural and historical crafts that keep us grounded in our roots’.
Inside this debut issue, you'll find pieces celebrating ‘seemingly ordinary Afghan entrepreneurs’, which include interviews with two fashion designers and a bakery owner in Southall, as well as a four-part look at lesser known Afghan craftsmanship in Notting Hill. The tone is equally optimistic and candid—the magazine recognises the important role that these individuals play within the diaspora, while acknowledging the challenges that they face. As editor Sahar Rabbani writes:
‘The preservation of Afghanistan's culture and tradition acts as a form of resistance against years of of oppression and dominance... These stories highlight the resilience of the Afghan people, who engage in a collective effort to sustain their livelihoods through a continuation of their cultural practices and a reminder of the painful journeys that have led them to their present-day successes.’