Palestine Lives!

Patterns of Return
A Poetry Anthology

Rooted in cultural stewardship and archival practice, this project amplifies the voices of Palestinians on the front lines, the diaspora, and global allies standing in solidarity - creating a living record of collective humanity, remembrance, and connection

Project Overview

A global poetry anthology bringing together voices from across communities and borders, this collection explores themes of resistance, memory, identity, and collective care. Each piece offers a glimpse into lived experiences while weaving a larger narrative rooted in solidarity and shared humanity. Created in support of ongoing mutual aid efforts, this anthology invites readers to engage, reflect, and stand in connection with the collective liberation movement.

Featured Poets

The Poets

Meet the writers whose work and stories bring this anthology to life!

Poetess

Poetess

Poetess (she/her) is a poet, writer, and editor with poems published in several magazines and anthologies. She is also a Pushcart Prize nominated poet.

Samara

Samara

Samara is a multidimensional artist and healer moving between realms. Within her offerings, she explores Spirit through her smooth soul sound, imagery-infused writing and holistic practices. Samara builds the bridge between "reality" and the dream state, breathing love into all that crosses her path.

Layla Salma

Layla Salma

Laila Salma is an emerging Palestinian poet from Gaza, where every word she pens is a battle cry against oppression. A graduate of the English Department, she dreams of diving into the depths of creative writing for her master’s degree while unleashing her debut poetry collection, a raw testament to survival amidst genocide. With ink as her weapon, Laila crafts verses that ignite the spirit, daring the world to listen to the untold stories of her people.

Hafsa Yusufi

Hafsa Yusufi

"I am a Law student and a local activist from Rotherham. I believe in the power of art tomobilise, and I hope that my poetry can play a small role in that."

Rania Omar

Rania Omar

Rania Omar is an Australian Lebanese Muslim writer, poet and artist from Western Sydney. Her writing often reflects on her lived experiences of mental illness, disability, domestic violence as well as culture and social commentary. Rania has performed at theatres, poetry slams and arts festivals across Sydney and her work appears in the recently published book Ritual, the world's first collection of Muslim-Australian poetry.

Alejandra Álvarez Polanía

Alejandra Álvarez Polanía

Alejandra Álvarez (Bogotá, 1999) is a Colombian poet and artist based in Paris whose writing emerges from her Andean roots and a spiritual understanding of creation as a sacred act. Moving between poetry, painting, and performance, her practice explores migration, memory, identity, and belonging. A Cum Laude graduate of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze (2021), she has exhibited internationally and founded FLOWERBED...

Medina Tenour Whiteman

Medina Tenour Whiteman

Medina Tenour Whiteman is a writer, poet and singer based in Spain, author of the poetry collection Love is a Traveller, among other titles. Her work has appeared on international platforms including BBC Radio, Sacred Footsteps, Amaliah, and Rowayat, and several anthologies. An experienced poetry and non-fiction editor, she is cofounder of the Muslim Writers' Salon and regularly holds creative writing workshops.

Sunnah Khan

Sunnah Khan

Sunnah Khan is an award winning Scottish Pakistani poet, documentary filmmaker and creative facilitator.

Nour Abdullatif

Nour Abdullatif

Nour is a writer from Gaza, a survivor of multiple wars and genocide, anda mother of three. She works as an English teacher for children and holds a degree inEnglish Literature from the Islamic University of Gaza, along with a diploma inteaching methods. Writing in both Arabic and English, her work has reached wideaudiences during the genocide, including her poem If I Must Starve, translated intoseveral languages. She also contributed to Gaza Writes Back, edited by her lateteacher Refaat Alareer.

Poet Name

Poet Name

Liz Bajjalieh (She/they/he) is a disabled, queer, diasporic Irish/Palestinian poet and visual artist based in Očhéthi Šakówiŋ and Hocąk land (sometimes called “Chicago). Their debut poetry book, SCREAM Until You Know What God Is, is now available with Fernwood Press.

Menna Saber

Menna Saber

Menna Saber Abo Salem is a translator, audio content presenter, podcaster, aspiring writer, and poet who was born in 2004. Through her work, she brings life to her voice and the voices of those the world has forgotten.

Warren Clementson

Warren Clementson

Warren Clementson graduated in Film at the University of the Arts London. His poetry explores faith, colonialism, neurodiversity and anxiety disorder. He has featured in Erro Press, From Whispers to Roars, Thawra and House of Amal’s Threads of Palestine anthology. Warren is now working on two poetry collections simultaneously. He resides in the UK.

Frances Browner

Frances Browner

Frances Browner resides in Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland. Her fiction/memoirs have been published and broadcast on radio. Poems featured online and in literary journals. ‘Lockdown’ won 1 st prize in a 2020 haiku competition, and ‘Little Palm Tree’ highly commended for the Costa Book Awards. Poetry pamphlet, SELFIES, was part of Ghost City Press, Syracuse, Summer Series 2019. Her collection, Roots & Wings (2019), and debut novel, A Bronx Summer (2023), were launched by Revival Press.

Roba Al Sharif

Roba Al Sharif

Roba Al Sharif is a seventeen-year-old Palestinian poet and writer, considered one of the youngest Palestinian poets. She Is the author of Daughter of Death In Uk, Justice Lost in Japan, and memoirs Of A Fallen Stare in Italy also a poet in the Italian book La Rosa di Gaza. Her poems were published In the quarterly magazine Opol And Balai She writes because the pen should not be taken from us as the land was taken."

Farah Elbahnasawi

Farah Elbahnasawi

Farah Elbahnasawi is a poet, voice-over artist, storyteller, and translator from Gaza. She graduated with distinction in English Literature from the Islamic University of Gaza and now works there as a teaching assistant. Her work has appeared on several platforms, including Opol-Space, Baladi Magazine, and Voices from Gaza, and a selection of her poems has been translated into Spanish and published in Revista Kametsa.

AJ Rosenstein

AJ Rosenstein

AJ Rosenstein is a writer, poet, filmmaker and choreographer. Their short story "Insides" for Anodyne Magazine was a finalist for the 2025 Monarch Queer Literary Award. They also adapted the short story into the short film, “Floodgates.” In addition to pursuing poetry and art, they work full-time as a social media manager, strategist and copywriter. They live in Los Angeles with their spouse and small dog who thinks he’s a big dog.

Ambata Kazi

Ambata Kazi

Ambata Kazi is a writer, editor and teacher born and raised in New Orleans, LA. She earned a Master of Arts in English and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans. Her first novel, Far Away from Here, published with SparkPress in August 2025. She is the creative director at Sapelo Square, a digital multimedia publication that centers Black Muslim experiences in the US.

Gledis Bitraj

Gledis Bitraj

Gledis Bitraj is a queer Albanian poet, bartender, goth person, and community organizer. Detroit based, Gledis believes that the liberation of Palestine is freedom for all. She aims to comfort and connect with her work. Gledis continues to work with her community to support each other. Remember, it can’t rain all the time.

Fatena Abu Mostafa

Fatena Abu Mostafa

"I am a translator, storyteller, and poet from Gaza. I studied under Palestinian poet and activist Refaat Alareer during my bachelor’s degree. I am currently pursuing Creative Practice (Poetry and Performance) at Atlantic Technological University in Galway. My work is rooted in understanding the feelings of Gazans and giving voice to their unspoken experiences. I strive to amplify these voices, believing poetry can inspire change. My poems have been widely published in books and magazines."

Fadwa Al Qasem

Fadwa Al Qasem

Fadwa Al Qasem is a Palestinian-Canadian author and artist based in Spain. A woman with a gypsy's spirit and a citizen of the clouds, her work explores identity, displacement, and the human condition. She holds a BA in English Literature and certifications in art therapy and trauma-informed practice. She has published four short story collections and contributed to international anthologies across the U.S., UK, and the Arab world.

Martina Teeny Collender

Martina Teeny Collender

Martina Teeny Collender is a Published, Award Winning, Playwright, Screenwriter, Poet and Writer living and working in Waterford City and County, Ireland with her beloved Ellie. She deeply cares about all those affected by wars and genocides they didn't start, particularly the Palestinian People.

Ella Dorman-Gajic

Ella Dorman-Gajic

Ella Dorman-Gajic is an award-winning writer, performer, and facilitator working across poetry, theatre and screen. Her poetry has been broadcast on BBC Radio and published widely, including Poetry Wales. She’s performed her sets at festivals and poetry nights across the UK. Ella is the co-host and co-founder of poetry org Off The Chest. Her work in theatre includes TRADE (UK tour) and in screen, the multi-award-winning short BACK OF THE NET (winner of Best Screenplay).

Taqwa Ahmed Al-Wawi

Taqwa Ahmed Al-Wawi

Taqwa Ahmed Al-Wawi, a Palestinian writer, poet, and editor living in Gaza (born 2006), studied English Literature at the Islamic University of Gaza. She is a chronicler and guardian of her community’s memory through her writing, dedicated to amplifying Gaza’s voice and sharing stories often left untold. Her work has appeared in over 30 international platforms. She is an editor at Baladi Magazine.

Cathra Kelliher

Cathra Kelliher

Cathra’s mother is Iraqi, her father was from working class Bolton but his mother was South African; half Boer, half British. She has lived in Nairobi, Montreal, Sydney, Beirut, Amman, and across the UK. Her poems have been published in Acumen, Tears in the Fence, Poetry London and Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal. She has four children and currently splits her time between London, West Sussex and the Outer Hebrides.

Marah Muhammad Al Khatib

Marah Muhammad Al Khatib

Marah Mohammed Al-Khatib is 20 years old. I study artificial intelligence engineering and write poetry. I also know that they are different, but I am here. I would like to spread my archeological everywhere, write poetry and sweep the dust from the threshold of the moon. I published my articles in Spanish, Italian and English magazines. Other than that, my texts are in my Italian book Other than that literary translation courses with arab lit My poetry career began since the birth of pain, so we write until we embody the memory of pain with the ink of my hand

Becky Cherriman

Becky Cherriman

Becky Cherriman is a prize-winning writer, educator and performer based in Yorkshire whose work responds to social inequalities. Often published in journals and highly commended for the Forward, her poetry pamphlet Echolocation and collection Empires of Clay were released in 2016. Commissions enable her to write with marginalised communities and other artists, presenting work on umbrellas, audio trails and mill walls. She also writes fiction and memoir. Find her at her Substack Writing in Context.

Balqees Alahwamdeh

Balqees Alahwamdeh

Balqees Alhawamdeh is a 26-year-old writer and poet. She is based in Abu Dhabi, and writing has progressed to become her passion. Her main goal is to make writing accessible for everyone. She has participated in the Writers' Suhoor program at 421 Arts Campus in 2024, recently published her work with Wijdan Online Magazine, and was part of the Focal Point Art Book Fair at Sharjah Art Foundation 2025, presenting her postcards with BAMBAM! publishing.

Anzal Omar

Anzal Omar

Anzal Omar is a poet whose work explores displacement, migration, and identity.With a background in engineering, her poems have appeared in anthologiesincluding After hours (2023) and The Camellia House and Other Stories (2024). Amember of Hive Poetry Collective, she has served as a shadow judge for theForward Prizes and is currently developing her first pamphlet.

Ahmed Sarsour

Ahmed Sarsour

Ahmed Sarsour (b. July 1993) is a Palestinian–Sudanese poet, aspiring filmmaker, activist, and human rights advocate shaped by displacement and resistance. He spent 21 years in Sudan before fleeing the man-made civil war and later enduring Gaza’s catastrophic war. A self-taught English writer, his work is forged through pain, love, and resilience. His poetry challenges dehumanization, advocates for Gaza, and affirms art as resistance, guided by the ethos: “No one is free until we all are.”

Abubakar Auwal

Abubakar Auwal

Abubakar Auwal, TPC VIII, Pushcart Prize Nominee, is a Nigerian teen astrophotographic visual artist, speculative poet, editor, and member of the Hill-Top Creative Arts Foundation. He is the author of Portrait of Gods as Metaphors (forthcoming, 1st runner-up, Nigeria Prize ...

Aaron El Sabrout

Aaron El Sabrout

Aaron El Sabrout is a transgender Egyptian alien living on the unceded Haldimand Tract. He makes comics, art, poetry, and video games, all of which are weird and trans and to do with plants. His work is published in We Want it All: A Radical Anthology of Trans Poetics, featured in the Seattle Erotic Art Festival, and he is a recurring contributor to T! zine.