In commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, an international #ReadPalestine week is set to kick off on Wednesday, November 29. This initiative aims to foster global engagement with Palestinian literature, culture, and history.

#ReadPalestine week: a global celebration

During this week-long event, individuals worldwide are encouraged to immerse themselves in the works of Palestinian and Palestinian diaspora authors, including fiction and poetry, as well as explore nonfiction titles covering Palestinian history, politics, arts, culture, and daily life. Additionally, readers are encouraged to delve into books addressing topics related to organising, resistance, and solidarity in support of a Free Palestine.

To promote the #ReadPalestine movement, signatories of the Publishers for Palestine letter of solidarity have curated a Free Palestine Reading List. In collaboration with participating publishers, this initiative offers the opportunity to download one e-book title for free from November 29 to December 5. All featured titles can be accessed through the dedicated website. The curated list already boasts over thirty books available in nine languages, including several award-winning publications, with more additions on the horizon.

Read: Mosab Abu Toha: prominent poet from Gaza ‘released’

Readers are also encouraged to take to social media to share their favourite Palestinian books, quote their beloved authors, and turn the act of learning about Palestine into an expression of solidarity. Utilising hashtags such as #ReadPalestine, #LirelaPalestine, #اقرأ_فلسطين, and others, individuals can amplify their voices and contribute to the global conversation. Furthermore, indie bookstores and libraries are invited to participate by creating Read Palestine displays, crafting engaging social media posts, and employing other creative forms of solidarity.

Publishers for Palestine is a global solidarity collective comprised of over 300 publishers who stand united in their commitment to “justice, freedom of expression, and the power of the written word” in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Read: Hiba Kamal Abu Nada: Palestinian poet killed in Gaza

The collective paid tribute to the “courage, creativity, and resilience” of Palestinians, their unwavering connection to their ancestral lands, and their “refusal to be erased, or grow silent” even in the face of Israel’s “horrific acts of genicidal violence” and dispossession.

At least 14,800 Palestinians — mostly women and children —  in Gaza have been killed, according to the Ministry of Health in the Hamas-run territory. Israel’s death toll from the Oct. 7 Hamas attack stands at 1,200, according to Israeli officials. 

It also said it finds hope in the growing chorus of voices that continue to write, speak, sing, challenge falsehoods, and forge community and solidarity on social media and in streets worldwide. Notable publishers including Verso Books in the US and UK, Tilted Axis, OWN IT! in the UK, and publishers from across the globe are among those championing this cause.

Free Palestine Reading List: unlocking the power of Palestinian literature

Highlighted recommended books for #ReadPalestine week include “Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear” by Mosab Abu Toha, a poet who was clandestinely detained by Israeli forces and recently released. “A Party For Thaera: Palestinian Women Write Life In Prison,” edited by Haifa Zangana and translated by Salam Darwazah Mir, stands out among the literary nonfiction works.

The reading list also features books in multiple languages, including Spanish, Greek, and French, ensuring a diverse and enriching experience for all participants.

Poetry

• Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear, by Mosab Abu Toha.
• Affiliation, by Mira Mattar.

Fiction

• Wild Thorns, by Sahar Khalifeh, translated by Trevor LeGassick and Elizabeth Fernea. 
• Out of Time: The Collected Stories of Samira Azzam, by Samira Azzam, translated by Ranya Abdelrahman. 

Literary nonfiction

• The Drone Eats With Me, by Atef Abu Saif. 
• Les échos de la mémoire. Une enfance palestinienne à Jérusalem, by Issa J. Boullata, translated by Chantal Ringuet.
• A Party For Thaera: Palestinian Women Write Life In Prison, ed. Haifa Zangana, translated by Salam Darwazah Mir.

Literary anthology

• Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, edited by Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, and Mike Merryman-Lotze.
• To Live, Die, and Be Born in Gaza, edited by David Segarra, traducció al castellà: Roger Sarrià Traducció a l’anglès: Adela Ortiz Traducció a l’àrab: Tamer Hamdan i Rabah Boughenna.

Nonfiction

• Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer, by Phyllis Bennis. 
• Hamas – From Resistance to Regime, by Paola Caridi, translated by Andrea Teti.
• Voices of the Nakba: A Living History of Palestine, edited by Diana Allan, Afterword by Rosemary Sayigh.
• Mental Health and Human Rights in Palestine, by Wasseem El Sarraj.
• Driving in Palestine التحرّك في فلسطين, by Rehab Nazzal.
• Palestine Speaks:Narratives of Life Under Occupation, edited by Mateo Hoke and Cate Malek.
• A Land With A People: Palestinians and Jews Confront Zionism, coedited by  Esther Farmer, Rosalind Petchesky and Sarah Sills.
• Everyday Forms of Resistance, by Jumana Emil Abboud, Noor Abed, Ahmad Alaqra, Mirna Bamieh, Dominika Blachnicka-Ciacek, Wim Catrysse, DAAR (Decolonizing Architecture Art Research), Maja Demska, Forensic Architecture, Karolina Grzywnowicz, Jumana Manna, Joanna Rajkowska, Mohammad Saleh, Marta Wódz, Jaśmina Wójcik.
• Third World Approaches to International Law: Writings on Palestine, 2019-2023, by Noura Erakat, Victor Kattan, Steven Salaita, Ata R. Hindi, Shahd Hammouri et al.
• Menguak Hubungan Dagang Indonesia-Israel, by Angga Aulia Akbar.
• Israel, A Beachhead in the Middle East, From European Colony to US Power Projection Platform, by Stephen Gowans.

Celebrate #ReadPalestine week here, where you can find out more about each book and where to get them for free.