Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at 4:00 PM Palestine / 9:00 AM EST via Zoom.
Virtual: Book Launch for Naseej: Life‑Weavings of Palestine
Join Insaniyyat, the Society for Palestinian Anthropologists, for the the online launch of their first book project, Naseej: Life-Weavings of Palestine (Pluto Press, 2025). Naseej, meaning “tapestry” in Arabic, is a book about diverse forms of life, communities, histories and continuities in Palestine. It compiles essays, short stories, poetry, interviews, and visual art to tell an aspect of the Palestinian story that has not been told: the severing of Palestinians from vast and ancient regional histories, and the stifling of its precious patchwork of languages, ethnicities, cultures, religions and practices.
Arriving at a moment of utter devastation – one of the most difficult in Palestinian history – this vibrant collection celebrates the diversity of life in Palestine. From the trajectories of Romani groups to the formations of religious communities like Ahmadiyya Muslims in Haifa, to the political experience of Black Palestinians and much more, Naseej asks what kind of threads remain of this tapestry after some 150 years of modernity and colonialism.
The event will feature reflections and readings from the editors of the book, Arpan Roy and Noura Salahaldeen, as well as Jumana Manna, Ahdaf Soueif, Salim Tamari, and Sheikha Helawy.