It’s publication day for Poppy Seeds: Poetry from Gazan Youth, a new collection out from young people’s publication Naya Magazine. Here, we talk with co-editor Akshay Maheshwari about the idea behind the collection and how it came about. The collection of work by writers in Gaza is available in the ArabLit storefronts (arablit.org/shop and arablit.gumroad.com); all proceeds go to the young writers whose work is featured.
How did this project come about?
Akshay Maheshwari: Witnessing the destruction in Gaza, I kept thinking about how children and young people were affected. The devastation of universities and the daily slaughter of young lives was horrifying. I started reading the works of Mahmoud Darwish, Fadwa Tuqan, Hala Alyan, and Noor Hindi, and I felt that Naya Magazine’s platform, which amplifies AANHPI creatives, needed to be extended to the voices of those in Gaza.
To make this possible, I reached out to Publishers for Palestine and was connected with ArabLit Quarterly. They introduced me to Mohammed Alqudwa, a Gazan poet displaced to Egypt, who had ties to young poets still in Gaza. Through him, I was able to access the work of four incredible young poets—Saja al-Zard, Rawan Qwaider, Anas al-Akhsam, and Hasan al-Bawwab—all of whom have created stunning, powerful work.
Can you tell us about the discovery process? How did you choose the poems to include?
AM: The first major challenge was translation. As a non-Arabic speaker, I wanted to ensure that both the Arabic and English versions were included—not only to preserve the integrity of the original work but also to make it accessible to a wider audience. With the help of ArabLit’s network of translators, I worked with two incredible volunteers, Nancy Roberts and Ibrahim Fawzy, to translate all the poetry over three months.
Once the translations were complete, I carefully considered how to structure the chapbook. The four poets—Saja al-Zard, Rawan Qwaider, Anas al-Akhsam, and Hasan al-Bawwab—each have distinct voices, yet their work shares a deep emotional and political resonance. The selection process was about honoring their experiences while ensuring a balance of themes, perspectives, and styles that could collectively tell a larger story about Gaza’s young poets.
What about the art? How did you want it to interact with the literary works?
AM: I wanted the artwork to be in direct conversation with the poetry—to enhance, not overshadow, the words.
Three incredible Palestinian artists—Ceyza Amera, Samo Shalaby, and Dima Srouji—generously contributed their work as visual complements to the poetry. Each piece was carefully chosen to reflect the tone and themes of the poems. A fourth artist, Narmeen Hamadeh, created the cover art, encapsulating the chapbook’s spirit.
The title, Poppy Seeds, was inspired by two things: first, the poppy as a symbol of Palestine, where it grows in abundance, and second, the idea of “seeds” as a metaphor for the future—the resilience of Gazan children, whose lives are uprooted daily yet who continue to persevere.
How are you encouraging people to read & engage with this collection?
AM: I hope that people—who may never be able to fully empathize with the struggle of Gaza’s youth—read this poetry as stories of survival. These poets are our modern-day heroes, and we need to treat them as such.