Recognising the Stranger

'A pitch-perfect example of how the novelist can get to the heart of the matter better than a million argumentative articles. Hammad shows us how the Palestinian struggle is the story of humanity itself, and asks us not to look away but to see ourselves. ' MAX PORTER. ‘Hammad’s writing burns with fierce intelligence, humane insight and righteous anger. For those at risk of despair, doubtful of the role literature has to play in times of crisis, it is a reminder of the radical potential of reading and the possibility of change. ’ OLIVIA SUDJICFROM THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION-LONGLISTED AUTHOR OF ENTER GHOST. Award-winning author of The Parisian. and Enter Ghost. Isabella Hammad delivered the Edward W. Said Lecture at Columbia University nine days before 7 October 2023. The text of Hammad’s seminal speech and her afterword written in the early weeks of 2024 together make up a searing appraisal of the war on Palestine during what feels a turning point in the narrative of human history. Moving and erudite, Hammad writes from within the moment, giving voice to the Palestinian struggle for freedom. Recognising the Stranger. is a brilliant melding of literary and cultural analysis by one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and a foremost writer of fiction in the world today.