Let It Be a Tale

An essential, powerful collection of essays from Palestinian journalists who have risked everything to document genocide, occupation, displacement, and the ongoing struggle for freedom

If I must die / let it bring hope / let it be a tale – Refaat Alareer

Palestinian journalists have lost their homes to demolition, settler violence, and bombardment by Israeli forces, and have endured forced displacement and severe restrictions on their freedom of movement. They have faced relentless threats to their safety and livelihoods, including arbitrary detention, intimidation, torture, and physical attacks. They have been targeted while carrying out their work and have endured extreme shortages of food, water, and healthcare. And yet, their commitment to reporting has not wavered.

Bringing together original essays by journalists reporting across Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel, this collection is an intimate, first-hand account of Palestinian life across different geographies. We see how loss, grief, and hunger shape daily life, and how, despite everything, there remain moments of resistance, joy, and solidarity.

With a foreword by renowned poet Mosab Abu Toha, Let It Be a Tale is a testimony to the power of storytelling in the face of violence and attempted erasure during the deadliest period on record for journalists. It is a crucial contribution to conversations about press freedom and human rights, and it offers a profound exploration of what it means to honor ones home, land, and people.