Palestinian Poets Beyond Darwish: Five Voices to Read

Mahmoud Darwish is often the first Palestinian poet people in the UK discover, and for good reason. But Palestinian poetry is far bigger than one name. It stretches from the Nablus of the 1930s to the lecture halls of Gaza, and much of it is now available in English. Here are five voices to read next.

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Fadwa Tuqan

Born in Nablus in 1917, Fadwa Tuqan was largely self-taught, encouraged by her brother, the poet Ibrahim Tuqan. Her early poems were personal and quiet. After 1967 her work turned towards occupation and resistance, and she became known as the poet of Palestine. Her autobiography, published in English as A Mountainous Journey, is a good way in.

Samih al-Qasim

Samih al-Qasim, born in 1939, grew up in Galilee and wrote some of the most quoted lines of Palestinian resistance poetry. His poem often translated as I Will Not Compromise is recited at gatherings to this day. He wrote with anger, but also with warmth and humour.

Mourid Barghouti

Mourid Barghouti spent three decades in exile before returning to Ramallah in 1996. His memoir I Saw Ramallah, translated into English by the Egyptian-British novelist Ahdaf Soueif, reads like a long poem about going home to a place that has changed. It won the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature in 1997.

Refaat Alareer and Mosab Abu Toha

Refaat Alareer taught English literature in Gaza and encouraged a generation of young writers to tell their own stories in English. He was killed in Gaza in December 2023, and his poem If I Must Die has since been read, printed and shared around the world. Mosab Abu Toha, who founded Gaza's first English-language library, won an American Book Award for his debut collection and later a Pulitzer Prize for his essays.

Many readers carry a line from these poets with them. Our Exist. Resist. Return. and Palestine Hope designs are made in the same spirit: a few words that say a great deal.

FAQ

Who are the most famous Palestinian poets?

Besides Mahmoud Darwish, widely read Palestinian poets include Fadwa Tuqan, Samih al-Qasim, Mourid Barghouti, Refaat Alareer and Mosab Abu Toha.

What is If I Must Die?

If I Must Die is a poem by Refaat Alareer, a writer and lecturer from Gaza. After he was killed in December 2023 it was shared and read around the world.

Which Palestinian poetry books are available in English?

Good starting points include Mourid Barghouti's I Saw Ramallah, Fadwa Tuqan's A Mountainous Journey and Mosab Abu Toha's Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear.

Where can I read Palestinian poetry in the UK?

Most major bookshops and libraries in the UK stock English translations, and independent bookshops often have dedicated sections on Palestinian writing.