As the author Atef Abu Saif recently reminded us, “people often say that Gaza exports oranges and short stories.” Despite decades of siege and blockade, Gaza has maintained a vibrant literary life and extraordinarily high literacy and educational levels—now threatened because of the destruction of Gaza’s schools. Yet authors have continued to write: urgently, sharply, with clear vision.
In our “where I write now” series, we asked authors to describe their current surroundings; poet-journalist Husam Maarouf writes about what Gazans read during war; and many writers share their poems and reflections. Some of this work has been collected into our “Gaza! Gaza! Gaza!” issue or the free zine And Still We Write. More can be found below.
Shrinking Language, Bursting Memory
"Under siege, time is stolen piece by piece, and language shrinks to match the narrow space it is allowed. People abandon long sentences because every additional word must justify the power it consumes, the battery it drains, the risk it takes in that particular minute." ...
‘Rewaa, My Beloved…’: New Poetry by Asmaa Dwaima
Three months ago, ArabLit contributor Asmaa Dwaima lost her sister, who was martyred along with her little son. This poem is for her sister, Rewaa ...
‘Reaching Heba in My Dreams’
It was October 20, 2023 when poet, novelist, and educator Heba Abu Nada was killed by an Israeli airstrike. She was 32. Here, her sister Somaia strings together time, place, and memory ...
‘A City Beyond History’: New Poetry by Doha Kahlout
"Press your body to the sea— / it comes out cool, unharmed— / and let tears move across your hidden grief." ...
I Want a Room, God. Do You Hear Me?
"Even writing, even a warm home—I am afraid of losing them at any moment, of becoming homeless again, of searching for a language that resembles me." ...
On Waiting for Things That Won’t Come
"Seductive Life, don’t disguise yourself. We know you too well. We see you in the airports, embracing the newborns and the newdeads. You carry their pain and plant bewilderment inside them. " ...
