Description

“Extraordinary and impressively insightful. Hammad skillfully demonstrates how art, and particularly literature, can reveal truths far deeper than conventional political commentary.” —Rashid Khalidi, New York Times bestselling author of The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine

Acclaimed author Isabella Hammad, recognized for her novels The Parisian and Enter Ghost, presents a profound, timely essay addressing the Palestinian struggle and the power of storytelling. Delivered at Columbia University just nine days prior to October 7, 2023, as part of the Edward W. Said Memorial Lecture, Hammad’s influential speech is paired with a newly written afterword authored in the initial months of 2024. Together, these pieces offer a sharply insightful examination of the war against Palestine at a critical historical juncture. Deeply moving and strikingly perceptive, Recognizing the Stranger is an evocative fusion of literary exploration and cultural critique from one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and a celebrated writer of contemporary fiction worldwide.