Writing against erasure

KARACHI:

In February, the much-awaited 2025 International Booker Prize was announced and to our delight, one of the thirteen titles selected for the list was The Book of Disappearance by Palestinian author, Ibtisam Azem. At this violent and tumultuous time for the country’s people, this selection has shone a necessary light upon the rich landscape of Palestinian literature. Here are five notable works by Palestinian authors that offer profound insights into life in the country they call home:

‘The Book of Disappearance’

To begin with the current lighthouse of Palestinian literature, Ibtisam Azem’s The Book of Disappearance (2014) teeters between utopia and dystopia. Translated from the original Arabic by Sinan Antoon last year, the novel presents a speculative narrative where, overnight, all Palestinians in Israel vanish without a trace. This sudden disappearance plunges Israeli society into chaos, prompting introspection about identity, memory, and the intricate ties between the two peoples.

The novel, set in the author’s hometown of Jaffa, alternates between the perspectives of Alaa, a Palestinian man, and his Israeli friend Ariel, who discovers Alaa’s diary post-disappearance. Through this imaginative premise married with tight sentences that flow from one to another without beginning or end, Azem challenges readers to contemplate the visibility and erasure of Palestinian existence. The novel’s innovative approach and profound themes led to its longlisting for the International Booker Prize in 2025, with judges lauding it as an “exceptional exercise in memory-making and psycho-geography.”

To date, Azem has published two novels in Arabic titled The Sleep Thief (2011) and The Book of Disappearance, of which the latter has also been translated into German and Italian. And we have reason to hope for more because her first collection of short stories, City of Strangers, is forthcoming in the summer of this year.

‘Minor Detail’

Adania Shibli’s Minor Detail (2017) is a poignant exploration of violence, and the lingering shadows of history. The novel is bifurcated into two narratives set decades apart. The first, rooted in 1949, details a harrowing incident involving Israeli soldiers in the Negev Desert, culminating in the assault and murder of a Bedouin girl. The second narrative, set in present-day Ramallah, follows a young woman who becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind this “minor detail” of history.

Shibli’s sparse and evocative prose delves into the complexities of personal and collective memory, illustrating how past atrocities continue to resonate in the present. The novel was longlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2021, with judges praising its “austerely beautiful” narrative that casts light on ethnic conflicts and cleansing worldwide.

‘Velvet’

Huzama Habayeb’s Velvet (2016) offers an intimate portrayal of life within the Baqa’a refugee camp in Jordan. The story centres on Hawwa, a skilled seamstress who finds solace and identity in her craft amidst the camp’s oppressive environment. Through Hawwa’s eyes, readers witness the struggles of Palestinian women, their resilience, and the intricate dynamics of love and tradition.

The novel’s title symbolises both the luxurious fabric Hawwa adores and the contrasting harshness of her reality. Velvet received the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature in 2017, recognised for its cinematic narrative style and deep exploration of the human condition beyond political narratives.

‘Among the Almond Trees’

Among the Almond Trees (2004) is a reflective memoir by Hussein Barghouthi, penned during the final stages of his life as he battled terminal illness. Returning to his native Palestine after years abroad, Barghouthi embarks on a journey through the transformed landscapes of his homeland.

The memoir intertwines personal reflections with observations on the socio-political changes wrought by occupation, offering a meditative narrative on identity, belonging, and the inexorable passage of time. Posthumously published in Arabic in 2004 and translated into English in 2022, the work was honoured with the Palestine Book Awards in 2023, celebrated for its profound introspection and lyrical prose.

‘Wild Thorns’

Sahar Khalifeh’s Wild Thorns (1976) is a groundbreaking Palestinian novel that offers a raw, unflinching look at life under Israeli occupation. Set in the early 1970s, the novel follows Usama, a young Palestinian who returns to the West Bank after years abroad, expecting to find his people united in resistance. Instead, he discovers a society fractured by survival – some Palestinians are forced to work in Israeli factories, while others engage in armed struggle.

Regarded as one of the first feminist Palestinian novels, Wild Thorns also foregrounds the roles of women in resistance, challenging male-dominated narratives of liberation. Khalifeh’s work remains vital today, offering a nuanced, human-centred perspective on occupation and resilience. It has been widely translated and continues to be a cornerstone of Palestinian literary history.