Hutchinson Heinemann publishes 'powerful and humanising' essay collection from writers in Gaza

Hutchinson Heinemann will publish We Are Not Numbers, “a powerful and humanising essay collection charting the daily lives, struggles, and dreams of young people in Gaza".

Ailah Ahmed, publishing director, and Linda Mohamed, commissioning editor, both at Hutchinson Heinemann, have secured world English-language rights, including audio, to We Are Not Numbers, edited by Ahmed Alnaouq and Pam Bailey, from Jessica Craig at Craig Literary. 

We Are Not Numbers: The Voices of Gaza’s Youth will be published on 24th April 2025, the 10th anniversary of the founding of We Are Not Numbers (WANN).  

The collection contains essays by young Gazans spanning a 10-year period from 2014 to 2024. Penguin Random House UK is actively seeking to sub-licence rights for North America.  

The publisher said: “Following the 2014 Gaza War and decades of oppression and resistance, storytelling platform We Are Not Numbers was founded to empower emerging Palestinian writers to share their experiences in the form of essays and poetry.  

“Since then, young Palestinians, mostly living in the besieged Gaza Strip and paired with writing mentors based around the world, have chronicled the human impact of occupation and blockade. In doing so, they have passionately fought to be recognised not as numbers but as human beings with lives, hopes and dreams. 

“Ten years on, this unprecedented collection brings together a decade of impactful essays and poetry, offering a sobering, tender, inspiring and humanising view of Palestine through the eyes of its next generation of writers and leaders.  

“In an epilogue covering the most recent war on Gaza, the collection’s editors Ahmed Alnaouq and Pam Bailey reflect on the personal tragedies they have faced—including the deaths of 21 of Ahmed’s family members in a single bomb blast—as well as those writers able to take WANN’s work forward and those no longer alive to do so. In a rallying cry to onlookers around the world, We Are Not Numbers offers unparalleled insight into the real lives of the people of Gaza and imagines where we might go from here.”  

Alnaouq said: “For too long, Palestinian voices—especially those of young Palestinians—have been neglected. This book stands as a defiance of that neglect and a challenge to Western media bias. In these pages, Palestinian youth are rising from the ashes, demanding that their voices be heard and placed centre stage in the global discourse. Whether the world listens or not, this book is a testament to our humanity and history.” 

Bailey said: “As I read through more than a thousand stories, written over 10 years, to help compile this book, I found myself alternately smiling and weeping as the memories rushed back. Smiling because it’s been so enriching to get to know these young people. And weeping, because so many of their dreams have been destroyed, along with the haunts I used to frequent when I called Gaza home. Through the publication of this book, I hope readers everywhere will discover the beauty and talent that I came to know and join the global cause to push for the safety and freedom of Palestine.” 

Mohamed said: “We are humbled and delighted to be publishing this essay collection with We Are Not Numbers. Spotlighting Gaza’s youth has never been more urgent and we feel privileged to bring Gazans’ stories to light. This book is as multifaceted as they are—it is poignant and funny, angry and reflective, hopeful and devastating. Most importantly, it feels more necessary than ever.”