Purchase Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza, Palestine here.
Gaza Writes Back is a compelling anthology of short stories from fifteen young writers in Gaza, members of a generation that has suffered immensely under Israel's siege and blockade. Their experiences, especially during and following Israel's 2008-2009 offensive known as "Operation Cast Lead", have fundamentally impacted their lives and their writing.
Their words take us into the homes and hearts of moms, dads, students, children, and elders striving to live lives of dignity, compassion, and meaning in one of the world's most embattled communities. Readers will be moved by the struggles big and small that emerge from the well-crafted writing by these young people, and by the hope and courage that radiate from the authors' biographies.
Writers include: Hanan Habashi, Mohammed Suliman Spared, Rawan Yaghi, Nour Al-Sousi, Sarah Ali, Sameeha Elwan, Nour El Borno, Refaat Alareer, Jehan Alfarra Omar, Yousef Aljamal, Wafaa Abu Al-Qomboz, Tasnim Hamouda, Elham Hilles, Shahd Awadallah and Aya Rabah.
Refaat Alareer (1979-2023) was a a Palestinian writer, poet, professor, and activist from the Gaza Strip. He taught literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza and co-founded the organization We Are Not Numbers, which matched experienced authors with young writers in Gaza, and promoted the power of storytelling as a means of Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation.
“The raw humanity, tenderness, and defiance in this collection of short stories by young Palestinians in Gaza stands as a testament to the resilience, moral fortitude, and beauty of oppressed and violated people everywhere. The writers are barely in their twenties and though their lives echo of bombs, bullets, and Israel's intentional programs to dismantle them, their stories teach us what it means to have an unconquered spirit and unbroken will. These are the next generation of Palestinian writers and intellectuals. We should all nurture their voices, lift them up, and read their stories then pass them on.
—Susan Abulhawa
