You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Saqi to publish Gazan testimonies in aid of Palestine charity
Saqi Books has acquired Daybreak in Gaza, edited by Mahmoud Muna and Matthew Teller. Profits from the sale of the book will go to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).
Lynn Gaspard, publisher at Saqi, acquired world rights from Peter Buckman at the Ampersand Agency, with publication scheduled for October 2024.
Featuring archival and contemporary photographs of Gaza and artworks by Palestinian artists, the book “seeks to preserve the heritage that has been lost, and that which can never be lost, revealing the wealth of Gaza’s cultural landscape and the depth of its history.”
It is the result of a collaboration between Mahmoud Muna, writer and owner of Jerusalem’s Educational Bookshop, and Matthew Teller, journalist and author of The Nine Quarters of Jerusalem (Profile Books), who reached out to hundreds of Gazans and Palestinians to collect their testimonies for Daybreak in Gaza.
They were supported in Gaza and Cairo by Juliette Touma, director of communications at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and by Gazan journalist Jayyab Abusafia.
Saqi has secured a grant from Speaking Volumes and the British Council to support the publication of Daybreak in Gaza. Its Publishing Palestine project will include a literary intercultural exchange between the UK and Palestine, with plans to host a public salon, industry roundtable, writing workshops and showcases in both countries, in partnership with publisher Mahmoud Muna and The Educational Bookshop.
The publisher’s description of the book reads: “This was Gaza. A place of humanity and creativity, resourcefulness and spirit, now devastated by Israel’s onslaught that has destroyed lives, pulverised buildings and displaced an entire population. Today, as Palestinian heritage is being destroyed, those that survive preserve their culture and history through literature, music, stories and memories.
“Daybreak in Gaza portrays Gazan lives full of culture and meaning, humanising those dismissed as mere statistics and ‘collateral damage’. It reveals an extraordinary place and people, showcasing the illustrious achievements of the past and the wisdom of Gazans today. Vignettes of artists, acrobats, students, shopkeepers and medics offer stories of life, love, displacement, loss and survival, rubbing shoulders with vivid accounts of the warriors and travellers of old.”
Co-editor Matthew Teller said: “At a time when Palestinian people everywhere are in trauma and experiencing unimaginable personal horror, it is a privilege for me to be able to help Palestinian friends and colleagues by producing a book that will be of lasting value in preserving Gaza’s culture and retelling Gaza’s stories for new audiences. Daybreak in Gaza amplifies ignored voices and illuminates hidden histories to show individuals with rich, vivid lives filled with meaning and value. Genocide demands action. Saqi Books are to be congratulated for recognising the moral imperative to intervene.”
Lynn Gaspard said: “The attacks on Gaza are catastrophic: more than 80% of its buildings have been destroyed and so many have been killed and injured. Gaza and its people are being erased before our very eyes. In Daybreak in Gaza, Mahmoud and Matthew have interwoven the story of Gaza with voices and testimonies of Gazans themselves, and in so doing have produced an incredibly moving and vitally important record of its rich heritage.”
