About this Event
Writers, artists and creative practitioners from across the world have long supported the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and equality. In various ways, our featured writers, bestselling author, Kamila Shamsie, Basma Ghalayini, Editor of Palestine+100 and celebrated performance poet Amina Atiq, have been personally impacted by the ongoing repression of the Palestinian people and the trauma inflicted upon them over many years of occupation.
The brutal M**der of 1200 Israeli citizens by Hamas last October was shocking, provoking an expected response by the Israeli state. But the death of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including an estimated 13,450 children, the destruction of Gaza, and the devastation and displacement of Palestinian lives is a collective punishment, with many internationally now calling the Israel’s actions genocidal. The forthcoming ground offensive by the Israeli Army on Rafa means the estimated 1.5 million people, more than half of Gaza’s population, who are sheltering there, face a horror of unimaginable proportions. World-wide protests and opposition to the Israeli invasion of Gaza are making a difference; international support for Israel’s actions is now crumbling. Now, more than ever, voices of dissent are crucial and need to be amplified.
Peace for Palestine, building on the ‘Arts for Peace – To Gaza With Love’ walk WoW and the Lantern Company organised in December 2023, in partnership the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, Amina Atiq, Liverpool Irish Festival, Squash Liverpool, Mandela 8, First Take and Africa Oye, celebrates Palestinian voices – artists, writers and poets.
It is time for the people of the world to take a stand, calling for a peaceful settlement to bring an end to the current crisis. Together we must find and advocate for a solution that guarantees the human rights for all people in the region. Join us as we consider the roles that we can all play to in demanding peace for Palestine.
Kamila Shamsie is the author of eight novels, which have been translated into over 30 languages. Best of Friends (2022) was shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards; Home Fire (2018) won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, was long listed for the Man Booker Prize, and shortlisted for the Costa Prize. A Vice-President of the Royal Society of Literature and Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Manchester, she was one of Granta’s ‘Best of Young British Novelists’ in 2013. She grew up in Karachi, and now lives in London.
Basma Ghalayini is an Arabic translator and interpreter and has previously translated short fiction for the KFW Stifflung series, Beirut Short Stories, published on addastories.org, as well as for Comma Press projects, such as Banthology, The Book of Cairo and The Book of Ramallah. She is series editor on all Comma Press’s Arabic titles, and in 2021 was co-editor, with Rasha Abdulhadi, of Strange Horizon’s Special Palestinian Edition. She edited the anthology Palestine+100 and has written for the New York Times. Basma was born and grew up in the Gaza strip.
Amina Atiq is a published poet, performance artist, practitioner and award-winning community activist, and anti-racism advisor for Curious Minds & Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres. She was a BBC Words First Finalist and awarded Steve Biko Young Achievers; she was featured in 100 Inspirational Women of Merseyside and Future List 2022 of Northern Woman awards. She is poet in residence at University College of London & Norfolk Ponds Project, working on the secret Life of Ponds and of Museum of Colour, These Things Matter Exhibition. She is also Artist fellow of Metal Culture, producing a new upcoming creative campaign, HijabSpeaks. In 2020 she produced a short documentary, Unheard Voices, capturing the stories of Yemeni shopkeepers.
Proceeds from this event will go to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).
Venue: Quaker House
Date and time: Tuesday 21st May, 19:00 – 20:30
Tickets: £5
Liverpool Quakers’ & customers will receive a 20% discount on parking at Q-Park Hanover Street by using the promocode QUAKERSLV when pre-booking through the website Q-Par
*These are difficult times. We know some people may struggle to afford full price tickets. If you would like to attend this event but can’t afford to, please contact [email protected]. All queries will be treated in confidence.
If you would like to purchase a gifted ticket for someone who can’t afford it, please buy directly from the event page and we will offer your ticket out.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane, Liverpool, United Kingdom
GBP 5.00
