Edited by Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing and Mike Merryman-Lotze<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagining the future of Gaza beyond the cruelties of occupation and Apartheid, Light in Gaza<\/em> is a powerful contribution to understanding Palestinian experience. Reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Light in Gaza<\/em> is a strong, honest presentation of today\u2019s Gazans, a necessary read that provides a good understanding of the humanity of the Palestinians in Gaza.” \u2014Palestine Chronicle<\/em><\/strong> “The poignant first-person essays in this wide-ranging anthology have the greatest and rarest of virtues: they are portraits–brave, tender, resilient–of life in Gaza by the people who actually live it.” \u2014Nathan Thrall, author of The Only Language They Unders<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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“This book is rich in insights from Gazans living under Israel\u2019s brutal siege as well as those living abroad. The editors and authors are determined to start a conversation about Gaza and to break \u201cthe intellectual blockade\u201d imposed on it. From Jehad Abusalim\u2019s introduction to the last word, these compelling works move from personal reflections to political and economic analysis. They capture the reader and pull them through a journey that is as uplifting as it is heartbreaking that it should have to be lived at all. It will not leave you unmoved and will reinforce your determination to strive for Palestinian freedom.” \u2014Nadia Hijab, co-founder and honorary president, Al-Shabaka: the Palestinian Policy Network<\/strong>
“Because of Israel’s blockade, I’ve only been able to go to Gaza once. Everyone I spoke to there could tell me about the unimaginable hardship and trauma they’d experienced. But what stayed with me most was something I hadn’t expected: The unquenchable optimism and humor of Palestinians there. Reading Light in Gaza <\/em>a decade after my visit brought that feeling flooding back. This brilliant, funny, inspiring collection of stories and essays by writers in Gaza was exactly what I needed to reinvigorate my hope and determination to work for a future that uplifts us all.\u201d \u2014Ali Abunimah
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\u201cA must read for anyone interested in learning about Gaza, from the Palestinians of Gaza themselves. Powerful and engaging.\u201d \u2014Laila Elhaddad<\/strong>
“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<\/em> 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.” \u2014Barbara Ransby, historian, author, activist<\/strong>
“An emotionally and intellectually sophisticated collection that is deep, processed and enlightening.” \u2014Sarah Schulman
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“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 \u201cborn of fire\u201d for the wealth and variety of their ideas and for their grounding of the aspirations and dreams of Palestinian Gazans. ” \u2014Ahdaf Soueif<\/strong>
“Light In Gaza<\/em> is essential reading, not least because it reflects the voice of a people who are routinely and egregiously robbed of their basic humanity. It also represents a profound challenge to anyone who reads it. One author asks, “Can a story or a poem change the mind? Can a book make a difference?” The answer, as ever, is up to us all.” \u2014Rabbi Brant Rosen, Founding Rabbi of congregation Tzedek Chicago<\/strong>
“As Mahmud Darwish wrote as early as 1973, “we do injustice to Gaza when we turn it into a myth”. This is why “Light in Gaza”, through its insightful collection of essays and poems, offers such a unique picture of the Palestinian experience in a territory cut off from the world for a decade and a half.” \u2014Jean-Pierre Filiu, author of Gaza: A History<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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