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11 Lives | Muhammad Ali Khalidi & Perla Issa

11 Lives | Muhammad Ali Khalidi & Perla Issa

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11 Lives: Stories from Palestinian Exile

ISBN-13 9781682193471
Contributors Muhammad Ali Khalidi (Editor & Translator), Perla Issa (Introduction), Multiple Authors
Format Trade Paperback
Publisher OR Books
Publication Date October 25, 2022
Page Count 247
Subjects Human Rights, Middle Eastern History, Emigration & Immigration

Extended Synopsis

Written by the refugees themselves, this highly original anthology brings together the raw, daily experiences of Palestinians forced to live outside their homeland. 11 Lives: Stories from Palestinian Exile provides a platform for unique voices expressing the myriad displacements that war and occupation have forced upon the Palestinian people since the 1948 Nakba. These stories collectively serve as a powerful testament to a people driven from their homes and lands.

Drawing on Edward Said's observation that colonial warfare encompasses a narrative project aimed at obliterating Palestinian history, this book allows refugees to reclaim and narrate their own histories. From tales of children's adventures in camp alleyways and teenage ghosts next-door to an UNRWA teacher's workplace struggles and threads of a red keffiyeh, these deeply personal accounts reflect the persistent, inadmissible existence of the Palestinian people across generations of defeat, massacres, and revolutions.

Reader Targeting

  • Scholars and students of Middle Eastern history, post-colonial studies, and diaspora literature.
  • Advocates and researchers focused on international human rights, migration, and refugee experiences.
  • Readers seeking authentic, primary-source personal narratives and creative non-fiction from marginalized voices.

About the Contributors

This anthology was edited and translated by Muhammad Ali Khalidi, with an introduction by Perla Issa. The core of the work consists of primary narratives written by eleven Palestinian refugees: Nadia Fahed, Intisar Hajaj, Yafa Talal El-Masri, Youssef Naanaa, Ruba Rahme, Hanin Mohammad Rashid, Mira Sidawi, Wedad Taha, Salem Yassin, Taha Younis, and Mahmoud Mohammad Zeidan.

Accolades & Heritage

This vital anthology is the direct product of a dedicated creative-writing workshop organized by the Institute for Palestine Studies in Lebanon. It is co-published by OR Books and the Institute for Palestine Studies, ensuring these essential historical and cultural testimonies are preserved and distributed globally.


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