QISSAT: SHORT STORIES BY PALESTINIAN WOMEN; ED. BY JO GLANVILLE

These fascinating and diverse stories reflect the everyday concerns of Palestinians living under occupation. Writers who were children during the first intifada appear alongside those who remember the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war. They offer compassionate, often critical, insight into their society in times of hardship and turmoil, drawing upon the warmth of human relations and the hope that better times will come. Qissat is a rare showcase of Palestinian women writers across generations and places, including Gaza, Ramallah, the United States and the Gulf. 'Raw and honest ... lyrical and beautifully written' -- Sunday Times 'Layered, haunting, sensuously rich' -- The Times 'In turn lyrical, sensuous, comic and ironic ... it is the quality of subtle, evocative writing here that makes Qissat remarkable.' -- Independent These fascinating and diverse stories reflect the everyday concerns of Palestinians living under occupation. Writers who were children during the first intifada appear alongside those who remember the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war. In this volume, Palestinian women offer compassionate, often critical, insight into their society in times of hardship and turmoil, yet look beyond to the warmth of human relations and the hope that better times will come. Contributors include authors from the occupied territories, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, and writers from the Palestinian Diaspora. Jo Glanville is a journalist and radio producer with a strong attachment to the Middle East and a particular interest in the history of Palestine and Israel. She was lucky enough to live in the Old City, East Jerusalem, in the mid-90s, where she studied, taught, wrote articles for newspapers and volunteered for a human-rights group. Since then she has directed her career towards the Middle East whenever possible. She has made a number of well-received documentaries, including a series about the Arabian Nights with Robert Irwin for BBC Radio 4, a documentary marking the anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacres with Dr Swee Chai Ang and a programme about Israeli and Palestinian paramedics. She has also written for many newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, New Statesman and the Observer , and has contributed her own fiction and essays to a number of anthologies including Hard Lines 3 (Faber). Editing Qissat for Telegram means Jo can bring together her enthusiasm for both Palestinian culture and the short story, which she considers an underrated form. Barefoot Bridge / Randa Jarrar -- A Thread Snaps / Huzama Habayeb -- Other Cities / Liana Badr -- Me (the Bitch) And Bustanji / Selma Dabbagh -- Tales From The Azzinar Quarter, 1984-1987 / Basima Takrouri -- The Tables Outlived Amin / Nuha Samara -- Pieta / Jean Said Makdisi -- Dates And Bitter Coffee / Donia Elamal Ismaeel -- Local Hospitality / Naomi Shihab Nye -- A Single Metre / Raeda Taha -- The Letter / Laila Al-atrash -- At The Hospital / Samah Al-shaykh -- May God Keep Love In A Cool And Dry Place / Adania Shibli -- Umm Kulthoum At Midnight / Nathalie Handal -- Her Tale / Samira Azzam -- My Shoe Size And Other People's Views On The Matter / Nibal Thawabteh. Edited By Jo Glanville. Introduction Glossary Randa Jarrar, Barefoot Bridge Huzama Habayeb, A Thread Snaps Liana Badr, Other Cities Selma Dabbagh, Me (the Bitch) and Bustanji Basima Takrouri, Tales from the Azzinar Quarter, 1984–1987 Nuha Samara, The Tables Outlived Amin Jean Said Makdisi, Pietà Donia ElAmal Ismaeel, Dates and Bitter Coffee Naomi Shihab Nye, Local Hospitality Raeda Taha, A Single Metre Laila al-Atrash, The Letter Samah al-Shaykh, At the Hospital Adania Shibli, May God Keep Love in a Cool and Dry Place Nathalie Handal, Umm Kulthoum at Midnight Samira Azzam, Her Tale Nibal Thawabteh, My Shoe Size and Other People’s Views on the Matter! Biographical Notes Acknowledgements Presenting diverse stories by Palestinian women, this title offers a critical insight into their society in times of hardship and turmoil, yet look beyond to the warmth of human relations and hope of better times. Writers who were children during the first intifada appear alongside those who remember the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war. When I began looking for stories for this anthology, I had a number of aims and expectations.