Narratives for Young Readers on West Asia: War, Trauma and Resilience

Through critical textual analysis of the trauma narratives for young readers written in English on political conflicts and the violation of humanitarian values, this book recovers the response to trauma from the margins of the survivor spectrum. By focusing on the experiences of Syrian and Palestinian children, it elucidates how their stories are often portrayed in a manner that not only emphasises their resilience but also underscores the gravity of the experiences. The book sheds light on the multifaceted impact of the conflicts on the region and the psychological toll they take on the younger generation through the representation of their experiences in these narratives. The harrowing experiences of refugees, war victims and displaced persons from non- Western countries often lack a voice in the advancement of the trauma discourse. The theoretical approach utilised in this research thus employs child and adolescent psychoanalysis to extend the existing approach to trauma studies, and brings the neglected and under- represented trauma narratives to the fore. Many of the atrocities discussed in this book continue in the present times, which makes the study of this subject matter even more vital. The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas that has killed thousands of people in the region within a short space of time makes this research even more pertinent and urgent, as the widespread violence and suffering has echoed the trauma that the region has undergone in the past decades.

Arya Priyadarshini is an Assistant Professor at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, Odisha, India.

Suman Sigroha is an Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India.