Book Title: AFGHANI by Brendon Patrick
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 422 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Bulldog Publishing Australia
Publication Date: August 2025.
Content Rating: PG-13 +M: War themes included, but nothing highly explicit
War is a Racket, and Culture is Blind: The True Cost of Conflict
Journey through a century of strife in this gripping dual-timeline novel with:
George Sher Gul: A Muslim cameleer fleeing early 20th Century Afghanistan, seeking hope in Australia's unforgiving outback. He navigates harsh landscapes and the prejudices of White Australia, with his dream of belonging hanging by a thread.
Patterson: An Australian soldier in post-9/11 Afghanistan, questioning the war's true motives amidst corruption and personal demons.
Their intertwined stories challenge our beliefs on war, peace, and humanity.
Experience heart-wrenching choices, cultural clashes across generations, and a quest for belonging spanning continents.
This thought-provoking historical fiction exposes deep-rooted xenophobia, drawing parallels between early 20th century Australia and today's complex geopolitical landscape.
Together, it offers a witty yet unflinching critique of global politics—questioning the cyclical nature of conflict.
From sun-baked Australian deserts to war-torn Afghan streets, immerse yourself in a powerful journey through time and culture.
Will George Sher Gul find his future in a land that views him as an outsider?
Can Patterson discover peace amidst chaos and national expectations?
Uncover these answers in a compelling tale of resilience, hope, and the enduring human spirit.
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I'm Brendon Patrick, an Australian storyteller with a passion for bringing forgotten histories to life. As a veteran of the Australian Army and a proud descendant of Afghan Cameleers, I write stories that explore the rich tapestry of Australia's multicultural past that you might not find in your history books.
My upcoming novel Afghani is close to my heart, and it's a journey into the lives of Afghan Cameleers who helped shape Australia, inspired by my own family heritage.
When I'm not typing away at my keyboard, you'll find me walking the bustling Brisbane streets with my camera. It’s here where I develop most of my creative inspiration.
What inspired you to write AFGHANI? Was there a specific moment or experience that sparked the idea for this novel?
Afghani is a dual timeline, Historical Fiction novel, but it’s also part memoir, in the hybrid sense of the word. My heritage is also Afghan, and my Great, Great Grandfather was an Afghani Cameleer and a pioneer of the early Australian outback, so one half of the story is based on him. The second half of the story is based on my own experiences, as a soldier and my contribution in the Global War on Terror. But what really inspired the novel was the Taliban takeover in 2021. As a soldier and as an Afghan descendant, this was a tough period for me, and I processed that emotion through writing Afghani!
The title AFGHANI is evocative and direct. What significance does this title hold, and how does it encapsulate the themes of your story?
Afghani is a collective term given to the Afghani pioneers, like my Great, Great Grandfather; however, the title includes Iranian, Indian and pioneers from other Persian nations. The title also encapsulates mine, and Australia’s multicultural foundation.
What research process did you undertake to ensure cultural and historical accuracy in your novel? Were there any surprising discoveries that influenced the direction of your story?
There are very limited resources available on the Afghani Cameleers, and much of it has either never been recorded, or erased from the Australian memory, so I had to rely on a lot of stories from other descendants, newspaper clippings and other self-published stories.
Which character in AFGHANI was the most challenging to write, and which one do you feel most personally connected to?
Patterson: he is based on myself, and writing about yourself, on any deepening level is extremely hard. It exposes so much of your own vulnerabilities, and it opens up a lot of old wounds.
How did your own background and experiences shape your perspective in writing this novel?
I had to take a very retrospective and introspective look at my own life. That enabled me to to see how much I’d grown as a person, and how much my thoughts and beliefs have changed. For example: I was a new soldier, at the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, and I was very proud of my job. 25 years later and I take a very different view on the nation's involvement in any global conflict.
AFGHANI likely touches on complex social and political realities. How did you balance addressing these serious themes while still crafting an engaging narrative?
At the end of the day, my role was to deliver the truth. I didn’t want to ram that down people's necks, so I write with a lot of subtly and aim to give readers enough space to make up their own minds.
What do you hope readers will take away from your novel? Is there a particular message or feeling you want to leave them with?
The main premise of this novel is: what is the true purpose of war, and in writing the novel, I did attempt to answer that very question. My ultimate takeaway was the “war is a racquet”!
How has writing AFGHANI changed you as an author or as a person? What did you learn through the process?
Reading and writing is a great tool for building empathy, and that is the biggest change that I’ve seen within myself.
What’s next for you as a writer? Are you working on another project, and if so, how does it compare to AFGHANI?
I’m currently working on a World War 2 Coming-of-age, Historical Fiction story about a boy who runs away—risking his life—so he can witness an historic event!
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