Khaled Hosseini, successful author of the books "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns", said he started writing at the age of eight while living in Kabul, Afghanistan with his family. In the 1970s, at the age of 11, Hosseini’s world was changed when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and his family was granted political asylum, relocating to San Jose, California.

Hosseini spoke in conversation with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Caille Millner to a nearly full crowd on Thursday night at the 900-seat Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. His book, "The Kite Runner", was adapted for the big screen and will be in theaters in limited release on Friday, but not without some controversy.

“This is just a story about human and universal struggles,” Hosseini said.

There is debate over a 30-second scene where a 12-year-old Afghan boy portrays being raped.
Angry protesters were demanding that the scene be cut from the film. There have even been reports that three young Afghan actors who appear in the film have received death threats, causing Paramount Studios to delay the release of the film until the boys were relocated to someplace safe.

“I think the studio did the right thing in delaying the film,” Hosseini said. “The boys are out of Kabul now, nobody’s hurt, nobody’s been threatened.”

Hosseini said that he was hurt by the controversy because he created the characters in the book and said he felt some were treating it unfairly.

“Everybody [involved in the film] had the best intention,” he said. “That was to give face and voice to the Afghan people.”

Hosseini said he writes in the voice of an exiled Afghan. His stories are born out of memories from his childhood in a country he now says he doesn’t recognize after seeing it again for the first time in 2003.

“I left Kabul in the ‘70s,” he said. “I was flying kites with my cousins. It was shocking to go back; it was a war zone.”

Lena Gauschieldt came to the Herbst Theatre because she’s a big fan of Hosseini’s books.

“I think his books are beautifully written and I can’t wait to find out what’s next on his agenda,” Gauschieldt said. “I’m aware of the controversy surrounding the film, but it won’t stop me from seeing it.”

As for what’s next for Hosseini, he said he never starts out with a big picture.

“I start very small and then expand,” he said. “Writing is spent in days of questionable hygiene, trying not to surf the net, checking e-mail, writing something and checking e-mail again.”

Hosseini said that what he would really like to do after he is finished with the movie promotion is spend time with his wife and two children in San Jose.