If I Must Die

“If I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a tale.” This rich, elegiac compilation of work from the late Palestinian poet and professor, Refaat Alareer, brings together his marvelous poetry and deeply human writing about literature, teaching, politics, and family. The renowned poet and literature professor Refaat Alareer was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City alongside his brother, sister, and nephews in December 2023. He was just forty-four years old, but had already established a worldwide reputation that was further enhanced when, in the wake of his death, the poem that gives this book its title became a global sensation. “If I Must Die” is included here, alongside Refaat’s other poetry. Refaat wrote extensively about a range of topics: teaching Shakespeare and the way Shylock could be appreciated by young Palestinian students; the horrors of living under repeated brutal assaults in Gaza, one of which, in 2014, killed another of his brothers; and the generosity of Palestinians to each other, fighting, in the face of it all, to be the one paying at the supermarket checkout. Such pieces, some never before published, have been curated here by one of Refaat’s closest friends and collaborators. This collection forms a fitting testament to a remarkable writer, educator, and activist, one whose voice will not be silenced by death but will continue to assert the power of learning and humanism in the face of barbarity.

About the Author :
Refaat Alareergained his PhD with a dissertation on the poetry of John Donne. He taught English Literature at the Islamic University of Gaza, now destroyed. He is the editor of two collections of writing by his students,Gaza Writes BackandGaza Unsilenced(both published by Just World Books). His journalism featured inThe New York Times,and he appeared on the BBC, ABC News,and Democracy Now. He was a volunteer at the Gaza Zoo.

Review :
Praise for the hardback edition: #1 on CounterPunch’s Top 15 Books of 2024 | Listed Among the Top 10 Books of 2024 by The New Arab "Refaat left us, but his word must not." —Mosab Abu Toha "Offering a deeply personal window on Israeli violence in Gaza, this shouldn’t be missed." —Starred review in Publishers Weekly "Alareer was one of the most important literary voices of Palestine—a poet, essayist, and professor of English literature whose work has changed the lives of countless people, both in Gaza and far beyond" —Current Affairs "Alareer's writing transforms trauma, death and despair into words and into poetry, occasionally rising to true greatness." —Jewish Voice for Labour "It is a book that contains fragments of a visionary's blueprint for liberation." —Middle East Eye "Voice of Gaza' lives on: Refaat Alareer's poetic defiance honoured in posthumous book" —New Arab "A remarkable posthumous collection of poetry and other writings is a tragic document of genocide, and a beacon of hope for a Palestinian future." —The Morning Star