When imagination meets the painful realities of the past and present, memories no longer trap the minds and hearts of the people, but instead become a ladder that travels straight to the future – exploring new pathways and parallel realities. The possibilities of what is to come, and how to prepare or anticipate it, come to be the real questions. For Palestinians, and Palestinian writers in particular, imagining the future seems impossible when they cannot afford to escape the horrors of the present. Basma Ghalayini, editor of the superb ‘Palestine +100’ short story collection published by Comma Press, notes that science fiction is like a “luxury”, as “the cruel present (and the traumatic past) have too firm a grip on Palestinian writers’ imaginations.” For a long time, references to the topics of resistance, occupation, loss, and longing for a homeland were the most common themes in Palestinian literature, with writers like Ghassan Kanafani and Mahmoud Darwish being the most notable names. Literature was not just an expression of the human soul, but also a force of resistance – a political and cultural weapon that ferments Palestinian identity. However, in the…
What Will Palestine Be Like in 2048? Writers Turn to Sci-Fiction For Answers
September 27, 2019
