The Vanishing Girl of Kabul: Betrayal, Hope and an Extraordinary Fight for Women’s Rights, a book by Zahra Joya, founder of Rukhshana Media, focusing on the stories of women in Afghanistan and her experiences as a journalist, has been launched and published in the United Kingdom.
The book was published on Thursday, July 23, 2026, in the United Kingdom, and its launch event was held at the renowned Daunt Books bookstore in London, attended by dozens of participants.
The Vanishing Girl of Kabul: Betrayal, Hope, and an Extraordinary Fight for Women’s Rights combines Zahra Joya’s personal memoir, her experiences in journalism, and a historical account of events in Afghanistan.
Speaking at the book launch, Zahra Joya said that the work is not merely the story of her personal life, but also an effort to document the hidden and untold history of the women of Afghanistan, women whose voices have too often gone unheard amid war, displacement, discrimination, and neglect.
The book was co-authored with Amy Ferris-Rotman, an award-winning journalist, and published by Robinson, a well-known international publishing house.
Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also praised the book, describing it as an important account of women living under the pressure of restrictions and discrimination.
The book, The Vanishing Girl of Kabul: Betrayal, Hope and an Extraordinary Fight for Women’s Rights, is reported to be 283 pages long and is scheduled to be released in the United States and other English-speaking countries on October 6, 2026.
