Light in Gaza — Writings Born of Fire

“A must read for anyone interested in learning about Gaza, from the Palestinians of Gaza themselves. Powerful and engaging.” —Laila Elhaddad

“Gaza is often referred to as an ‘open-air prison,’ because it is so hard for messages, images or bodies to get out, or for resources to get in. Light in Gaza breaks through the prison walls and gives us a unique opportunity to hear and learn from those living under Israeli occupation in Gaza. Their voices are filled with pain, loss, frustration, anger, but most of all, hope. This powerful and beautifully crafted collection is one that readers must engage with heads and hearts wide open.” —Barbara Ransby, historian, author, activist

“An emotionally and intellectually sophisticated collection that is deep, processed and enlightening.” —Sarah Schulman

“A book that embodies the central paradox all Gaza-watchers are aware of: while Israel—aided by Egypt and tolerated by the international system—constantly sharpens tools to control and brutalize Gaza, Gaza insists on its agency, its dignity and its imagination. Read these writings—literally “born of fire” for the wealth and variety of their ideas and for their grounding of the aspirations and dreams of Palestinian Gazans. ” —Ahdaf Soueif

by Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, and Mike Merryman-Lotze 

Imagining the future of Gaza beyond the cruelties of occupation and Apartheid, Light in Gaza is a powerful contribution to understanding Palestinian experience.

Gaza, home to two million people, continues to face suffocating conditions imposed by Israel. This distinctive anthology imagines what the future of Gaza could be, while reaffirming the critical role of Gaza in Palestinian identity, history, and struggle for liberation.

Light in Gaza is a seminal, moving and wide-ranging anthology of Palestinian writers and artists. It constitutes a collective effort to organize and center Palestinian voices in the ongoing struggle. As political discourse shifts toward futurism as a means of reimagining a better way of living, beyond the violence and limitations of colonialism, Light in Gaza is an urgent and powerful intervention into an important political moment.

Paperback | 280 pages | Haymarket Books | 2022