“The Finest Hotel in Kabul” by Lyse Doucet Unveiled in London
The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan, the new book by Lyse Doucet, senior BBC journalist, was unveiled at a ceremony in London.
The event took place on Tuesday, September 16, with dozens of prominent figures attending and purchasing signed copies of the book.
Focusing on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, the book tells the story of contemporary Afghanistan through the lives of the hotel’s staff and guests.
The book is published by Hutchinson Heinemann of the Penguin Random House group and will be available in the UK from September 18.
The Finest Hotel in Kabul has been longlisted for the prestigious Baillie Gifford Prize 2025, and critics have described it as a humane and distinctive account of Afghanistan’s history.
Lyse Doucet is a senior international journalist at the BBC and has reported from numerous locations around the world, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and Iran. In this book, she combines her professional experience with deeply human narratives to offer a fresh perspective on Afghanistan.
