A staff member of IUG has edited a book of
Young Writers in Gaza titled “Gaza Writes Back”, which includes a collection of short stories from fifteen young
writers in Gaza, members of a generation that has suffered immensely under
Israel’s siege and blockade.
Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young
Writers in Gaza, Palestine, edited by Refaat Alareer- Staff member at the Faculty
of Arts, English Department.
http://justworldbooks.com/gaza-writes-back/
The writers
talked about their experiences, especially during and following Israel’s
2008-2009 offensive known as “Operation Cast Lead”; the occupation has fundamentally impacted
their lives and their writing. Indeed, many of these writers saw the war as a
catalyst for their writing, as they sought an outlet and a voice in its
aftermath. They view the book as a means of preserving Palestinian memories and
presenting their own narratives to the world without filters. 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. (Some of the stories also take us with
courage and empathy into the imagined world of Israelis living just on the
other side of the great barriers Israel has built in and around Gaza and the
West Bank to wall the Palestinians in.)
These stories are acts of resistance and
defiance, proclaiming the endurance of Palestinians and the continuing
resilience and creativity of their culture in the face of ongoing obstacles a attempts to silence them.
