Each year on November 29th, the United Nations recognizes International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. This date was chosen in memory of partition, when Palestine was split into the Jewish and Arab states that exist today. The hashtag for this event is #PalestineDay. Following this hashtag will get you more information about programming and content related to this Day of Solidarity. Learn more from the United Nations here.
Image Description: A close-up on a light-skinned hand with a gold ring around the middle finger holds the flag of Palestine in the air. The close-up angle makes only the red and green corner of the flag is visible. An unfocused tree branch is visible in the background.
Credit: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona / Unsplash via Webador
10 Palestinian and Palestinian-American Authors
- George Abraham: A Palestinian-American poet and writer, Abraham has won awards for their debut book of poetry, Birthright. He uses he/they pronouns and has been recognized for his bisexual poetry. Learn more about this writer and where to find their work at https://www.gabrahampoet.com/. Find more of his work at a library near you through WorldCat or LibraryLink.
- Ghada Karmi: Karmi wrote two memoirs about her experience fleeing Palestine, relocating to London, and journeying back to Palestine as an adult. Her memoirs are called, In Search of Fatima and Return. Learn more about Karmi and her books at https://www.karmi.org/. Find some of her work for free at OpenLibrary.
- Iasmin Omar Ata: Also known as Delta, they are a comic book and graphic novel writer and artist. They also work in game development, animation, and sound design. Learn more about this artist and their work at https://iasminomarata.com/. Preview their book, Mis(h)adra through OpenLibrary. Find more of her work at a library near you through WorldCat or LibraryLink.
- Jamil Nasir: Born in Chicago, Illinois, Nasir has been writing in the genre of speculative fiction for decades. His accolades include the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire. View his bibliography at https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Jamil_Nasir. Four of his books are available to borrow through OpenLibrary.
- Madian Al Jazerah: This author penned his memoir, Are You This? Or Are You This?, to explore identity and belonging through his experiences as a gay, Palestinian, Muslim man. You can learn more about this author and his memoir at https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/are-you-this-or-are-you-this/. Find more of his work at a library near you through WorldCat or LibraryLink.
- Nadia Afifi: Afifi is a Colorado-based writer of science fiction and speculative fiction. She grew up in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, but has Palestinian, Irish, and German ancestry. Learn more about this author and her work at http://www.nadiaafifi.com/.
- Nadia Shammas: This Palestinian-American writer specializes in comic books and graphic novels. She has three original works out and has also worked on Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin. Learn more about Shammas and where to buy her work at https://www.nadiashammas.com/. Find more of her work at a library near you through WorldCat or LibraryLink.
- Naji al-Ali: A popular and well-known cartoonist, al-Ali's work was designed to highlight the humanity of the Palestinian people. His work has been collected into the book, A Child in Palestine. Al-Ali and his family were forced to escape to a refugee camp in Lebanon at the age of 10. He was discovered by poet, Ghassan Kanafani, while living in the Ain al-Hilweh camp in the 1950s. He was assassinated in London in 1987 by an unknown gunman. Learn more about al-Ali and his work at http://www.handala.org/index.html.
- Sonia Nimr: An award-winning fantasy author who blends folklore with modernity, Nimr has several books out. Learn more about this author at https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Sonia-Nimir/188544435. Her book, Ghaddar the Ghoul is available for free through OpenLibrary. Find more of her work at a library near you through WorldCat or LibraryLink.
- Susan Muaddi Darraj: This author writes for children and adults. Her popular children's series, Farah Rocks follows a Palestinian-American girl who deals with everyday issues of growing up. This series is written for ages 8-14. Learn more about this author and where to find her books at https://susanmdbooks.com/.
Sources
- 10 great books by Palestinian writers you’ll really want to read (Esquire Middle East): https://www.esquireme.com/culture/books/52572-10-great-books-by-palestinian-writers-to-read-right-now
- 17 new books by Palestinian writers that are worth reading (Middle East Eye): https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/palestine-books-writers-new-worth-reading
- 20 of the best books written by Palestinian authors (Happy Magazine): https://happymag.tv/best-books-written-by-palestinian-authors/
- Are You This? Or Are You This? (Madian Al Jazerah): https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/are-you-this-or-are-you-this/
- Ghada Karmi (Author Website): https://www.karmi.org/
- Iasmin Omar Ata (Author Website): https://iasminomarata.com/nayra-and-the-djinn
- Internet Archive: https://archive.org/
- Internet Speculative Fiction Database: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Jamil_Nasir
- Madian al Jazerah: https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/are-you-this-or-are-you-this/
- Nadia Afifi (Author Website): http://www.nadiaafifi.com/
- Nadia Shammas (Author Website): https://www.nadiashammas.com/
- Naji al-Ali: http://www.handala.org/index.html
- Naji al-Ali remembered: A Palestinian cartoonist gunned down in London (Middle East Eye): https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/palestine-naji-ali-handala-creator-remembered
- Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/
- Sonia Nimr: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Sonia-Nimir/188544435
- Susan Muaddi Darraj (Author Website): https://susanmdbooks.com/
- International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (United Nations): https://www.un.org/en/observances/International-day-of-solidarity-with-the-palestinian-people
- Jamil Nasir (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamil_Nasir
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