In this episode of Ehkili, Sahar Mustafah welcomes author and editor Susan Muaddi Darraj to discuss her recent anthology, "Ask the Night for a Dream: Palestinian Writing From the Diaspora." The conversation highlights the significance of amplifying Palestinian literary voices, the challenges of publishing during the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank, and the vital role of Palestine Writes. Darraj shares insights on the anthology's diverse range of contributors, the importance of representing multi-faceted Palestinian experiences, and future projects for the press, including an anthology of writings by young people from Gaza.
00:00 Introduction 01:44 Discussing "Ask the Night for a Dream" 03:24 Palestinian Identity and Media Representation 06:41 The Palestine Writes Literature Festival 09:19 Launching the Palestine Writes Press 11:50 Challenges and Triumphs in Publishing 14:34 Anthology Contributions and Editorial Decisions 25:43 Future Projects and Young Voices from Gaza 35:09 Activism Through Publishing 45:52 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks
Susan Muaddi Darraj is an award-winning writer of books for adults and children. She won an American Book Award, two Arab-American Book Awards, and a Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artists Award. In 2018, she was named a USA Artists Ford Fellow. Her books include her linked short story collection "A Curious Land," as well as the Farah Rocks children’s book series. She lives in Baltimore, where she teaches creative writing at Harford Community College and the Johns Hopkins University. Her new novel "Behind You Is the Sea," was published in January 2024 by HarperVia. It received praise from The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Ms Magazine, and it was named a Best Book of 2024 by The New Yorker and Apple Books. It was also longlisted for the 2025 PEN/Faulkner Award.
Sahar Mustafah is a Willow Books Grand Prize Winner for "Code of The West," was named one of the 25 Writers to Watch by The Guild Literary Complex of Chicago, and is a member of Voices Protest and Radius of Arab American Writers. Her new novel, "The Beauty of Your Face," was named one of The New York Times' Notable Books of 2020. Mustafah earned her MFA in Fiction from Columbia College where she was a Follett Graduate Scholar. She lives in Chicago and explores her Palestinian heritage in her writing.
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