Pan Macmillan wins six-way auction for rights to first-hand Gaza account

Pan Macmillan has won a six-way auction for rights to first-hand Gaza account from 22-year-old Palestinian journalist and social media activist, Plestia Alaqad.

In the book, Alaqad chronicles her experiences living in Gaza across the first 45 days after 7th October, 2023.

Ause Abdelhaq, editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to The Eyes of Gaza from Kemi Ogunsanwo at Seventh Agency, and will publish the book in hardback, trade paperback, e-book and audiobook in early 2025.

In September 2023, Alaqad was a graduate with dreams of becoming a journalist, but the end of November, she would be known as the “Eyes of Gaza”, and millions of people would be moved by her social media posts depicting daily life in Gaza amid Israel’s invasion"

Through the "raw honesty and vulnerability" of a normal 22-year-old woman making her way through a human tragedy, The Eyes of Gaza shares the horrors of her experiences while showcasing the spirit of the men, women and children that share Plestia’s communities.

The publisher said it is "a manifesto for hope, the book advocates for a better future for Gaza, Palestine, and our divided world".

Abdelhaq added: "The Eyes of Gaza is hands-down the most important book I’ve ever worked on. The ongoing situation in Palestine is the greatest humanitarian tragedy of our times, but Plestia’s insights offer a glimpse into the kaleidoscope of stories that we don’t hear on the news: the gentle acts of quiet, necessary heroism, the everyday lives that were upended by terror, and the moments of unexpected tenderness and vulnerability that have emerged amid the chaos."

Alaqad said: "This is a deeply personal book. I’d never thought I’d make it out alive to share my diary with the world; I hope it gives a sense of what Gaza is and who the Palestinians truly are."