Witness to Gaza: Poetry of Struggle and Solidarity

A voice for the silenced. A testament to resilience. A call to justice.＂

From the cold, rain-soaked streets of Swindon to the bombed-out homes of Gaza, Witness to Gaza is more than a collection of poetry-it is a defiant cry against injustice, a record of grief, and a testament to unyielding hope. Edited by Dr. Fadoua Govaerts, this powerful anthology brings together voices of children, seasoned poets, and first-time writers, all bearing witness to a reality the world cannot afford to ignore.

＂I wander lonely as a star,

Over Gaza sky, where bodies tumble in the open,

And sometimes, if they’re lucky, buried in the silence of graves.＂

- Lubna Ahmad Abu Dahrouj, from ＂I Wander Lonely as a Star＂

These are not just words on a page; they are voices rising from the rubble, from hospital tents and makeshift classrooms, from streets where children protest with poems instead of weapons. They speak of loss, of dreams cut short, of homes reduced to dust-but also of defiance, of survival, of a future they refuse to surrender.

＂Props of dead bodies sway in the wind,

Tiny hands painted on cardboard,

Small feet marching along

With eyes wide with questions

That elders never found their answers to.＂

- Dr. Fadoua Govaerts, from ＂It Is Not Easy Lifting the Souls of Gaza＂

Featuring Laila Kassab’s haunting cover art Melody of Freedom, this book embodies the resilience of a people who continue to rise. Each poem pulses with the urgency of resistance, the weight of history, and the unbreakable will of those who refuse to be erased.

＂I am Gaza. As destroyed as can ever be.

I am Gaza, you’ll never forget about me.＂

- Asiya Ali (age 13), from ＂I am Gaza.＂

More than an anthology, Witness to Gaza is a call to action. It is for those who believe words can change the world. It is for readers who carry the weight of injustice in their hearts. It is for anyone who refuses to remain silent.

＂Weep for the little children, dead by morning

See their tiny bodies, wrapped in bloody shrouds...＂

- D.R. Sweeney, from ＂Weep for the Little Children＂

✔ A Unique and Urgent Collection - Featuring voices from both inside Gaza and global solidarity movements, this book offers a deeply personal and collective testimony of resilience.

✔ A Tribute to the Power of Words - Poetry has always been a tool for resistance. This book reminds us that even in the darkest moments, language remains a force of truth and defiance.

✔ A Call to Action - These poems don’t just recount suffering-they demand recognition, justice, and an end to silence.

✔ For Readers of Social Justice & Human Rights Literature - If you were moved by works like The Butterfly’s Burden by Mahmoud Darwish or I Remember Death by Its Smell by Rasha Omran, this book belongs on your shelf.

���� Bear witness. Raise your voice. Stand in solidarity.