Nakba Day on May 15 marks the 1948 forced displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their homeland. It remains an open wound in the region – one that continues to shape its politics and society across generations.
It has also served as a powerful catalyst for some of the most inspired Arabic literature of the past six decades, particularly by Palestinian authors. Many of these works are highlighted in The National’s list of the most important Arabic novels of the 20th and 21st centuries.
From narratives that delve into the psychological and existential wounds left by the Nakba, to stories of resilience and survival in the face of a persistent sense of exile, these novels offer an insight into how Palestinian writers have used literature both to confront the pain of the past and to carry the Palestinian cause forward for new generations.
Here are six books to read.
1. Men in the Sun (1963) by Ghassan Kanafani
In his searing masterpiece, Ghassan Kanafani offers a piercing glimpse into the aching dislocation caused by the Nakba. The novel follows three Palestinian men on an arduous journey from Iraq to Kuwait in search of work during the oil boom of the 1960s. Their trek becomes a subtle allegory for the complacency of Palestinian and regional political figures in the aftermath of the Nakba, and how the failure of the ruling class contributed to the despair surrounding the Palestinian right of return. More than 60 years since its publication, Men in the Sun remains a landmark of Arabic fiction, with one of the most haunting and talked-about endings in modern Arab literature.
2. In Search of Walid Masoud (1978) by Jabra Ibrahim Jabra
Equal parts biography and treatise, In Search of Walid Masoud examines the psychological and existential wounds caused by the Nakba. The plot centres on the disappearance of the titular character – a Palestinian intellectual and political activist uprooted to Baghdad after the 1948 tragedy. Woven through snippets of testimony from family, friends and colleagues, the book offers an understanding of who Walid Masoud is, and how his personal struggles are rooted in a deeper search for identity.
The fact that readers never get a complete picture of him alludes to the ongoing sense of dislocation that comes from being forced to leave one’s home.
3. The Fools of Bethlehem (2015) by Osama Alaysa
A psychiatric ward in a Bethlehem hospital is home to a group of patients whose stories – from the tragic to the absurd – reflect the fractured reality of a divided city. Their experiences point to the fraying mental health brought on by the Nakba and the continued failure of political leaders to address its legacy. In a 2015 interview with The National, Alaysa described the novel as an attempt to expand society’s understanding of madness. “It’s not just about people who are suffering from a condition, but also a sickness when it comes to intellectual thought,” he said.
4. Destinies: Concerto of the Holocaust and the Nakba (2016) by Rabai Al-Madhoun
A triumph of dazzling technique, Destinies is composed in four parts, each representing a concerto movement. The structure allows Al-Madhoun to tackle a pair of intertwining stories – the Holocaust and the Nakba, each a source of trauma for Jews and Palestinians respectively. Through the daily struggles of Palestinians in exile and those forced to assume Israeli citizenship, the novel explores how trauma shapes everyday life and how the politics of victimhood shift over time.
5. Velvet (2016) by Huzama Habayeb
This is a novel rooted in the displacement caused by the Nakba and shaped by characters descended from its early refugees. At the Baqaa camp in Jordan, Hawa finds purpose in tailoring after being mentored by the widowed Qamar. Through their shared work with velvet fabric, the two women exchange hopes and dreams in a setting that has long stifled such ambitions for the generations before them.
6. A Mask, the Colour of the Sky (2024) by Basim Khandaqji
The winner of the 2024 International Prize for Arabic Fiction, this book follows the story of Nur, a Palestinian archaeologist and the son of displaced families, who grew up in a refugee camp in Ramallah. After discovering an Israeli identity card in an abandoned coat, he assumes the identity of its owner and gains a glimpse of life beyond the barrier. In doing so, he reflects on the long-term effects of the Nakba on displaced families and the urgent need to preserve Palestinian heritage in a society intent on erasing its presence.
