The Diverse Bookshelf
Welcome to The Diverse Bookshelf. I’m Samia Aziz, celebrating the power of literature and the voices of authors and change makers from the global majority. Join me as we explore the stories that inspire, connect, and transform our world. Each week I interview an inspiring guest about a whole host of themes and issues while focusing on diverse literature.
Let’s uncover the stories that truly matter—together.
The Diverse Bookshelf
Ep90: Mahmoud Muna on stories from Gaza, hope & the future
Today marks one year since the most recent escalation of violence and aggression against Gaza, and the genocide that has unfolded before us. This episode was recorded prior to recent bombardments of Lebanon.
On this week’s episode, I’m speaking to Mahmoud Muna, who's taking part in this conversation from his bookshop in Jerusalem. Mahmoud Muna, along with co-editor Matthew Teller and with Juliette Touma and Jayyab Abusafia have worked on a stunning and heartbreaking book called Daybreak in Gaza. Daybreak in Gaza is a collection of almost 50 accounts, essays, interviews and diary entry from Palestinians, mainly in Gaza. They share their experiences of life in Gaza over the last year amid genocide, bombardments, raids and immense loss of life. What permeates through the pages of this book is not only courage, but hope, in essence, the day-break in Gaza.
Mahmoud Muna, born in Jerusalem and raised in a refugee camp (Shu’fat), is a notable Palestinian figure known as the bookseller of Jerusalem. He runs his family’s two renowned bookshops: The Educational Bookshop and the Bookshop at the American Colony Hotel. Muna is a computer science graduate and a trained communicator who has become an influential voice in Palestinian cultural and literary circles. His work extends to writing for local and international cultural magazines and newspapers, and he is deeply involved in various cultural initiatives.
Order Daybreak in Gaza here: https://saqibooks.com/books/saqi/daybreak-in-gaza/
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