6 December 2024: In the face of escalating violence and turmoil, the voices of Palestinian writers have been delibratly silenced. The massive loss of life, which became a primary characteristic of the war on Gaza, included a staggering number of Palestinan artists and writers. The latest report by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture reports the loss of 45 artists, writers, and cultural activists between October 2023 and February 2024. PEN International documented the cases of 13 writers and poets who have been killed between October and December 2023, marking it as the deadliest conflict for writers in recent history. Such significant cultural loss represents a massive blow for the Palestinian community and poses critical challenges in its ability to fully recover at a time when tangible forms of cultural heritage, including most of Gaza’s museums, the Gaza Central Archive, and Great Omari Mosque, have been deliberately targeted and destroyed.
This collection serves as an archive honouring those writers who have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023. At PEN International, we believe that these stories must to be told and remembered. Through this archive, we aim to celebrate their legacies while drawing attention to the ongoing struggles faced by writers in Gaza. We will update this collection regularly to ensure that the names and works of these writers are never forgotten, as we continue to advocate for the right to free expression and the protection of all who use their voices to inspire change.
Notes:
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PEN International was unable to contact all the families of the writers listed in this archive due to the severe communication challenges in Gaza and because many of the writers were killed alongside their immediate families. PEN continues to seek information about writers killed in Gaza since October 2023.
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This archive includes only writers and poets. It does not cover artists or cultural workers and lists individuals whose deaths PEN International confirmed through at least two sources.
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The numbers recorded by PEN International are indicative and do not represent the total number of writers killed since October 2023. They reflect cases where the organisation could confirm information about their deaths. This page is regularly updated as new information becomes available.
