5 Renowned Authors of Palestine: Volunteering with Excellence Center is not only an opportunity to study the Arabic language and live in the Hebron community, it’s a chance to learn about the rich cultural history of the Palestinian people. Writing and Literature have long been enlightening representations of Palestinian life, struggle and perseverance. And such literary depiction can best be seen through the work of five notable Palestinian authors.

1. Mahmoud Darwish (1941 – 2008) was an award winning Palestinian author and poet as well as recognized cultural figure. Darwish is held as the national poet of Palestine but had notable contributions in prose as well. In the Presence of Absence is a good starting point to Darwish’ work – a beautiful self reflection where the aging author engages his younger self, telling him of his life to come.

The Mahmoud Darwish Foundation launched in 2008 to uphold the cultural legacy of the author, and the Mahmoud Darwish Museum in Ramallah is administered by the foundation. Any list of great Palestinian writers and noted intellectuals should start with Mahmoud Darwish.

2. Fadwa Tuqan (1917 – 2003) is generally considered to be one of the very best contemporary Arab poets. Her work often deals with feminine explorations of love and social protest. After the Nakba (“Catastrophe”) of 1948 she began to write about Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

Tugan’s first work in prose was her autobiography Difficult Journey – Mountainous Journey. This landmark effort is heralded as one of the greatest contributions to Arab Women’s Literature. For her poetry and prose as well as her voicing of the Palestinian cause, Fadwa Tuqan stands as one of the most noted of modern Arabic writers.

3. Ghassan Kanafani (1936 – 1972) was a Palestinian novelist, short-story writer and political figure whose work featured themes such as uprootedness, exile, and national struggle. Considered one of the most important figures in modern Palestinian Literature, he often used the desert and its heat in his stories as a symbol for the difficult plight of the Palestinian people.

Though a determined political activist, – assassinated at the young age of 36 for his affiliations – Kanafani stated that it was literature that defined his politics. He coined the term and was a first practitioner of Resistance Literature, the writing between 1948 & 1967 that depicted Palestinian identity through the struggle. As a leading author and activist of his generation Kanafani was awarded the Lotus Prize for Literature posthumously in 1974.

4. Sahar Khalifeh (b. 1942) is one of the best-known Palestinian women writers. Following an education in Palestine, she obtained a scholarship to study in the United States where she received her MA in English Literature, as well as a doctorate in Women’s Studies. 

To date Khalifeh has published nine novels, all of which consider Palestinians under occupation. Her most famous work Wild Thorns, published in 1976, depicts Palestinian life under the occupation as told from the experiences of two cousins. Winner of a number of literary awards, Khalifa is also founder of the Women’s Affairs Center in Nablus, now also serving Amman Jordan and Gaza.

5. Edward Said (1935 – 2003) was an influential Palestinian American writer, academic, public intellectual and champion of the Palestinian cause in the West. He was Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and author of twenty-two books including his most notable Academic contribution Orientalism (1978), a challenge to Western preconceptions of the Arab world.

Recognized as the father of postcolonialism, Said presented theories that still influence scholars worldwide. However, his contributions as documentor of Palestinian identity and purposeful unsettler of the status quo will anchor his legacy for generations to come.

The notable work by these and other authors on Palestinian life and identity have proven a great resource for uncovering the depth and soulfulness of a nation and her people. And for those looking to deepen this historical knowledge –  including those preparing for their time at Excellence Center – these authors can serve as a great introduction.

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Tags: Edward Said, Fadwa Tuqan, Ghassan Kanafani, Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian Culture, Poetry, Sahar Khalifeh