Please find below a non-exhaustive Anglophone book list, as well as podcast episodes and other resources related to Palestine. I have not read most of them, but have indicated those I have read with an asterisk (*). I have also linked to my reviews where they exist.
رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْراً وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانصُرْنَا عَلَى القَوْمِ الكَافِرِينَ
Our Lord, pour patience on us, make us stand firm, and help us against the disbelievers.
Qur’an – Al-Baqarah (2):250
Non-fiction
- *A Map of Absence, edited by Atef AlShaer (anthology of non-fiction, fiction and poetry) – podcast discussion
- *Palestine, by Joe Sacco (journalistic comics) – my review
- Palestine: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, by Dr Tareq Suwaidan (history)
- *I Saw Ramallah, by Mourid Bargouti (memoir)
- *I Was Born There, I Was Born Here, by Mourid Bargouti (memoir)
- Sharon and my Mother-in-Law: Ramallah Diaries, by Suad Amiry (memoir)
- The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine, by Rashid Khalidi
- In My Mother’s Footsteps: A Palestinian Refugee Returns Home, by Mona Hajjar Halaby (memoir)
- Ten Myths About Israel, by Ilan Pappe
- Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History, by Nur Masalha
- On Palestine by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe
- The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, by Ilan Pappe
- The Drone Eats With Me, by Atef Abu Saif (diaries)
- The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World, by Antony Loewenstein
- Passages Through Genocide, an online repository of writings from people in Gaza
Fiction
- *A Map of Absence, edited by Atef AlShaer (anthology of non-fiction, fiction and poetry) – podcast discussion
- *Men in the Sun and Other Palestinian Stories, by Ghassan Kanafani, translated by Hilary Kilpatrick
- Out of Time, by Samira Azzam, translated by Ranya Abdelrahman
- Minor Detail, by Adania Shibli, translated by Elisabeth Jaquette
- Wild Thorns, by Sahar Khalifeh, translated by Trevor LeGassick and Elizabeth Fernea
Poetry
- *A Map of Absence, edited by Atef AlShaer (anthology of non-fiction, fiction and poetry) – podcast discussion
- Victims of a Map: A Bilingual Anthology of Arabic Poetry, edited by Abdullah Al-Udhari
- A River Dies of Thirst, by Mahmoud Darwish, translated by Catherine Cobham (poems and diaries)
- Journal of an Ordinary Grief, by Mahmoud Darwish, translated by Ibrahim Muhawi
- Rifqa, by Mohammed El-Kurd
- Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear, by Mosab Abu Toha
The video below features bi-lingual, personalised book suggestions for Palestine by people with a connection to Palestine. This is not just a list of books but includes a little of each person’s own background and why they chose these books to share with you.
I have bought Palestinian medjoul from Yaffa every Ramadan for a number of years and the quality has never disappointed me. Support Palestinian farmers and buy your dates here (UK).
Podcast episodes
- Ep. 43. What Does Memory Have to do with Justice? (Focus: Palestine: A Map of Absence, Ed. By Atef AlShaer) – Book Nomad Podcast
- How does getting up for Fajr help the Ummah? (USA: Two Gods (documentary film)) – Book Nomad Podcast
- #93 How do we liberate al-Aqsa? | Sh Haitham & Moazzam Begg – Unscripted Podcast from Islam21C
- The Thinking Muslim Podcast – they have posted a number of episodes with experts from a range of domains and backgrounds discussing Palestine and Gaza.
- Discussion of the implications of the initial ICJ judgement against Israel (particularly in the UK context) with Dr Anas Altikriti – Unscripted Islam21C podcast
Documentaries and Videos
- Al-Nakba Special Series – Al-Jazeera English (video series, also available in Arabic here)
- Dealing with Tragedy – video series discussing how the Prophet, peace be upon him, responded to difficult times facing the Ummah – from Qalam Institute
- Palestine 1920: The Other Side of the Palestinian Story | Al Jazeera World Documentary
- Gaza’s war through a child’s eye | Witness Documentary – Al Jazeera English
- Al Aqsa, 360° tour of Jerusalem’s holiest mosque – Al Jazeera (interactive video)
- Mohammed El-Kurd on the media’s complicity in genocide | The Listening Post – Al Jazeera English
Other resources
Photo by nour tayeh on Unsplash
Reading Al-Aqsa
- The Noble Sanctuary: A photographic and historical exploration of Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque (photo book), by Bashar Tabbah and Dr Robert Schick
- Aqsa Week Resources (articles/talks) – Friends of Al Aqsa
- Why do the Zionists raid al-Aqsa every Ramadan? (article) – Islam21C
- Al-Aqsa and Its Signs: My Reflections and Remembrance, by Assia Hamdi (article) – Amaliah
- The Night Journey – Al-Isra’ wa Al-Mi’raj, by Ismail Adam Patel (booklet) – Al Aqsa Publishers
- Forty Ahadith: Masjid Al-Aqsa, by Ismail Patel (booklet) – Al Aqsa Publishers
Podcasts, Documentaries and Videos
- Al Aqsa Will Always Matter To Us, Khutbah by Dr. Omar Suleiman (talk) – Yaqeen Institute | a very good summary (20 mins) of the importance of Al Aqsa to us as Muslims
- Al Aqsa in the Qur’an, by Dr. Omar Suleiman (talk) – Yaqeen Institute | Another enlightening summary of the significance of Al Aqsa with a focus on Qur’anic references
- Inside al-Aqsa: A 360° exploration of Jerusalem’s holiest mosque (interactive video tours) – Al Jazeera English
- #93 How do we liberate al-Aqsa? with Sh Haitham & Moazzam Begg (podcast) – Islam21C Unscripted Podcast
- Ep.90 – Palestine, Al Aqsa and Liberation with Dr Azzam Tamimi (podcast) – The Thinking Muslim Podcast
- Why Al-Aqsa is key to understanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – Start Here, Al Jazeera English
- The history of al-Aqsa Mosque (documentary) – Middle East Eye
- Jerusalem: Dividing al-Aqsa (documentary) – Al Jazeera World, Al Jazeera English
- Israa & Miraaj: The Miraculous Night Journey with Sh. AbdulNasir Jangda (talk) – Qalam Institute
Books for Children
- Colours of Al Quds, by Jenny Molendyk Divleli, illustrated by Merve Özcan – Karavan Çocuk | review by @MuslimKidsBookNook
- Heroes of Al-Aqsa series, by Abu Huzayfa – Al Aqsa Publishers
- Defenders of Al-Aqsa series, by Abu Huzayfa – Al Aqsa Publishers
- History of Masjid Al-Aqsa for Children, by Abu Huzayfa – Al Aqsa Publishers
- Gates and Tales, by Sally Zaki, illustrated by Arwa Ali – Beit Rima Stories | review by @MuslimKidsBookNook
