OR Books acquires If I Must Die by late Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer

OR Books has acquired a new book by the late Palestinian poet and English literature professor, Refaat Alareer, who was killed in an Israeli bombing on 6th December, 2023. 

Co-founder Colin Robinson bought world rights to If I Must Die from a family friend of the poet, who administered the contract on behalf of his family. Early copies will be available in June and the book will be published in September 2024.

Following his death, Alareer’s poem "If I Must Die" went viral on social media, and has been translated into more than 40 languages. The book, which takes its name from the poem, brings together Alareer’s poetry, his writing on literature and more personal correspondences.

The book is published with the support and cooperation of Alareer’s family, who are still living in northern Gaza.