Brigid Miller, Wood River Museum Community Engagement Manager, recommends A Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, edited by Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, and Michael Merryman-Lotze.
As we watch what is happening in Palestine, I realized how little I knew about this place, its people, and its history. As an historian, I felt compelled to learn more about the history of Palestine, from Palestinian voices. Enter A Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire. This anthology is a collection of essays and poems by eleven Palestinian writers about the history, culture, and daily life of Gaza in the time before the 1948 establishment of Israel, during the ongoing Nakba (catastrophe), and up until 2021 when the book was published.
A Light in Gaza gives firsthand accounts of life under Israeli occupation and the hope that these authors have for the future of Gaza and Palestine. The book begins with a clear statement of its intention: “May this book inspire us all to find and nurture the roses and light among those who struggle for survival and freedom in Gaza, in all Palestine, and in every corner of the world where injustice still haunts the wretched of this earth.” Through essays that talk about electricity, architecture, olive trees, and powerful poems, this book exceeds this intention.
Gaza is often referred to as the largest open-air prison in the world, and thus, I expected to only read about the issues and negative parts of Gaza.
Instead, these artists wove together stories of violence with moments of beauty and resilience.
For example, Refaat Alareer* explains how teaching The Merchant of Venice allowed his students to shatter some of the prejudices they held and the emotion of this moment for him. While explaining this impactful moment, he says that the papers his students wrote about this play were destroyed when the Israeli army bombed the university in 2014, reflecting the violent reality of life under occupation.
The writing is academic and personal, the stories heartbreaking and hopeful, and in its entirety A Light in Gaza presents Gaza and Palestine as place that is steadfast and resilient in the face of unimaginable circumstances.
I learned so much from this book and was struck and inspired by the vulnerable writing of each author. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about Palestine.
Find it here. 956.943 ABU
*Note: On December 7, 2023, Refaat Alareer, his brother Salah, his sister Asmaa, and Asmaa’s four young daughters were killed by an Israeli airstrike. Refaat will be remembered as one of Gaza’s most prominent writers, poets, and activists.
