Two new poetry collections are bringing Palestinian voices to the world, offering a powerful response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Written under collapsing ceilings and typed on phones with failing batteries, these poems document trauma, exile, resistance and love.
Nazmi al-Masri, professor of languages at the Islamic University of Gaza, says poetry keeps hope alive and gives people a language to express collective grief. 'When destruction erases physical spaces, poetry becomes a witness to history,' he explains.
The collections include work from students at the Islamic University of Gaza, where 95% of buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Since the war began, 72 faculty members and 543 students have been killed. Despite this, 2,860 students have graduated.
Some poems are dedicated to the memory of Gazan poet Refaat Alareer, killed in an Israeli airstrike in December 2023. His famous poem urges readers to 'live to tell my story' and 'let it bring hope'.
Alison Phipps, professor at Glasgow University and co-editor of the collection, notes that Palestinian poetry has a long tradition centred on homeland, exile, memory and resistance. She says young poets in Gaza avoid bitterness, choosing instead to reflect resilience: 'For my students from Gaza, being alive is resistance.'
