The story of a book in Gaza: A treasured possession given new lease of life

A team of book enthusiasts in Gaza is trying to keep Palestine’s literary heritage alive amid a genocide.

Aya al-Shawa, 10, sits in sixth grade at a school in northern Gaza, holding a book she recently received and what is now one of her most treasured possessions.

Amid the widespread destruction in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, books – one of the most vulnerable of all items – have become a rare commodity.

With approximately 700,000 children in Gaza deprived of regular in-person education since the war began in October 2023, books have also become a vital way for children to reconnect with learning.

Mohammed Saad, 54, from Beit Lahiya, has spent more than 35 years collecting books, and before the war, he estimated that he had between 50,000 and 100,000 titles in his library.

After being displaced 16 times in total, Saad returned to Beit Lahiya again to see what remained of his book collection. From the rubble of his home, he began to pull out the surviving books.

“I risked my life to save these books from beneath the rubble,” Saad said.

From the tent, Saad and his son Mohammed began cleaning and repairing the thousands of books in their possession.

The library now sees children coming every day, looking for stories that might help them find some escape from their hardships.

Giving children access to books is a key reason for saving them in the first place: to keep knowledge accessible and give them a path back to reading and learning despite war and displacement.