In today’s growing multicultural society, implementing an intercultural approach in education has become crucial. This essay demonstrates how selected literary works, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, can be used as powerful tools to foster intercultural understanding and promote intercultural competence among upper secondary students in Sweden. The analysis is grounded in Lustig & Koester’s theoretical framework, which defines intercultural competence through components such as context, knowledge, motivation, appropriateness and action. It explores how both novels address themes of racism, social exclusion, identity and power structure. While The Kite Runner highlights ethnic dehumanization and internalized hierarchies, The Hate U Give focuses on racial stereotyping, identity formation and white privilege. Furthermore, the essay also discusses pedagogical strategies for teaching these novels in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, emphasizing the use of reflective discussion, real-life connections and critical engagement with one’s own cultural perspective to support the development of students’ intercultural competence.