Gaza Writes Back, Memorial Edition

Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza, Palestine, edited by Refaat Alareer, is a compelling collection of short stories written in English by young writers in Gaza in the period soon after Israel's 2008-09 offensive against Gaza known as "Operation Cast Lead." The stories, collected by English-literature professor Dr. Refaat Alareer, take us into the homes and hearts of ordinary Gaza Palestinians trying to live lives of dignity and meaning in a community that, even then, was one of the world's most embattled.

In early December 2023, the Israeli military assassinated Dr. Alareer sending shockwaves of horror among all who loved and respected him around the world.

This new edition of the collection is produced in loving memory of Dr. Alareer's life and work. It contains a new Foreword by Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada. And in the backmatter, where in the first edition the story contributors had a chance to introduce themselves in their own words, we now include updated self-descriptions from all those whom we could contact, while somberly recognizing that the fate of many of those other talented young people remains unknown.

Note: For now, the original 2014 paperback edition of Gaza Writes Back remains in print (ISBN 9781935982357), as an affordable complement to the new Memorial Edition. In 2025, we plan to phase that one out and issue a paperback edition of the Memorial Edition.

About Refaat Alareer and Ali Abunimah

Dr. Refaat Alareer, a son of Shijaiyeh in Gaza, gained an M.A. in English Literature from University College, London, and a Ph.D from the University of Malaya. He was a beloved professor of English literature and literature in English at the Islamic University of Gaza and a leader in the "We Are Not Numbers" organization. In December 2023 the Israeli military killed him in a targeted operation, leaving behind his wife and six children, one of whom was also killed in early 2024 along with her newborn child.

Ali Abunimah, a Palestinian-American leader in the campaign for Palestinian rights, is the founding director of The Electronic Intifada website and the author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse (Metropolitan Books, 2006.) He gained his B.A. from Princeton University and an M.A. from the University of Chicago. His commentaries have been widely published on many platforms.

Refaat Alareer, Ali Abunimah, and story contributor Yousef Aljamal, at the 2014 launch of Gaza Writes Back, Philadelphia, USA, 2014