If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose by Refaat Alareer

“If I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a tale.”
—Refaat Alareer

Synopsis

This rich, elegiac compilation of work from the late Palestinian poet and professor, Refaat Alareer, brings together his marvelous poetry and deeply human writing about literature, teaching, politics, and family.

The renowned poet and literature professor Refaat Alareer was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City alongside his brother, sister, and nephews in December 2023.

He was just forty-four years old, but had already established a worldwide reputation that was further enhanced when, in the wake of his death, the poem that gives this book its title became a global sensation.

If I Must Die is included here, alongside Refaat’s other poetry.

Refaat wrote extensively about a range of topics: teaching Shakespeare and the way Shylock could be appreciated by young Palestinian students; the horrors of living under repeated brutal assaults in Gaza, one of which, in 2014, killed another of his brothers; and the generosity of Palestinians to each other, fighting, in the face of it all, to be the one paying at the supermarket checkout.

Such pieces, some never before published, have been curated here by one of Refaat’s closest friends and collaborators.

This collection forms a fitting testament to a remarkable writer, educator, and activist, one whose voice will not be silenced by death but will continue to assert the power of learning and humanism in the face of barbarity.

Book Details

• Introduction and Compilation: Yousef M. Aljamal
• Foreword: Susan Abulhawa
• Author: Refaat Alareer
• Publication Date: 2024-12-10
• ISBN-13: 9781682196212
• ISBN-10: 1682196216
• Binding: Hardcover
• Publisher: OR Books

Accolades

• #1 on CounterPunch’s Top 15 Books of 2024
• Listed Among the Top 10 Books of 2024 by The New Arab 
• Listed in USA Today Bestseller List

Blessings, Love and High Praise

“Offering a deeply personal window on Israeli violence in Gaza, this shouldn’t be missed.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Refaat left us, but his word must not.”
—Mosab Abu Toha

“Compelling... a glimpse into a restless political and literary mind, one that was still rising to the height of its powers.”
—The Guardian

“Crafted with such meticulous detail... Refaat’s dispatches offer the poet’s most intimate and vulnerable thoughts.”
—Drop Site News

“One of the most important literary voices of Palestine ... Refaat has changed the lives of countless people, in Gaza and far beyond.”
—Current Affairs

“Transforms trauma, death and despair into words and into poetry, occasionally rising to true greatness.”
—Jewish Voice for Labour

“Fragments of a visionary's blueprint for liberation.”
—Middle East Eye

“The 'Voice of Gaza' lives on.”
—New Arab

“Remarkable ... a tragic document of genocide, and a beacon of hope for a Palestinian future.”
—The Morning Star

“Alareer’s personality and character, his erudition, humor and compassion ... flood this book.”
—Jenny Lewis, Oxford University

“The poems and pieces in this book are present, profound, and ultimately, for the reader, catalysing. They stand witness to a human who was full of insight, intelligence, and empathy, with a heart that, in these pieces, has the power to transcend all borders. Utterly inspiring.”
—Buzz Mag

About the Author: Refaat Alareer

Refaat Alareer was a Palestinian poet, writer, professor, and activist born in Gaza City in 1979. He served as a professor of literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza. Alareer co-founded the organization We Are Not Numbers, which aimed to document the experiences of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. He was a volunteer at the Gaza Zoo.

He also edited and co-edited several collections of Palestinian writing, including Gaza Writes Back and Gaza Unsilenced. Alareer was known for his passionate critiques of Israeli policies and for using his writing to raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians.

He was killed in an Israeli airstrike in December 2023.

Refaat Alareer: Notable Works

• Gaza Writes Back (2014)
• Gaza Unsilenced (2015)
• If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose (2024)