In July 2023, time travel has become possible in Gaza. A group of sophomores in the English Department at the Islamic University of Gaza could create the first time machine in only two months. The students actively collaborated to organize a unique fair in which they turned characteristics of the Victorian era into art. It was a magnificent spectacle where the guests could live in the Victorian UK and fill their nostrils with the authentic aroma of fresh tea.
The participants divided the main conference hall into various corners, each of which represented an aspect of the era. They decorated the place with Victorian flowers, artistic crafts, and paintings of significant figures, giving it the spirit of the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery (QVMAG).
It was a perfect atmosphere to throw a Victorian tea party, as the hosts served tea with cookies, cakes, and candies and were involved in detailed discussions about the development of tea throughout history. Interestingly, they connected the habit of drinking tea with literary movements and cultural practices. The guests discussed the association between tea rooms and the emergence of feminism. They also linked this with the Palestinian tea traditions, as Gazans drink 2 to 4 cups of tea daily.
Intellectual arguments were developed during the event; literature students explored the themes of George Eliot, Charles Dickens, and the Brontës novels. They also delved into the motives of writing and publishing serialized lengthy works. These interactive dialogues aim to find similarities between the Palestinian and Victorian cultures.
Although poetry was not a prominent genre in that era, it was brought to the table of discussion. Poetry lovers could not skip the profound Victorian verse by Hardy, Tennyson, Emily Brontë, and Mary Evans.
The knowledge gained was muse-evoking. Therefore, the talented organizers designed Victorian writing tools such as feather pens and letter papers and invited the visitors to respond to the literary works produced in that era using the Victorian writing style. On the way back, a book swap was hosted to enable the guests to exchange books and enjoy reading new ones at home.
