Under Occupation, Above Hope - by Shahd Alshamali (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A cartoonist from Gaza documents both the simple joys and the heart-wrenchingly tragic narratives of contemporary life in Palestine.

Real stories of everyday life in Gaza: mornings, cafés, schools, work, evenings by the sea, families gathering together, as well as crowded streets filled with laughter, conversation, and the smell of incredibly delicious food. Each chapter shows a different facet of the day-to-day Palestinian experience along with true tales of the horrors of the occupation and genocide. This book serves as a testimony to the lives lost and the lives forever changed.

About the Author

Shahd Alshamali was born in the UAE to a Palestinian refugee family who was forced to flee from their city, Jaffa, due the the Palestinian Nakba in 1948. The family returned to live in Gaza when Shahd was 13. She holds a BA in Law and Human Rights from Al-Azhar University in Gaza. Shahd has worked with several international human rights institutions doing volunteer work. And she worked as a translator and interpreter with foreign press delegations in Gaza, and wrote reports and news articles for Gazapost. In 2024, during the genocide, Shahd fled Gaza through Egypt, and is currently living and working in Berlin, Germany.