Not To Become a Monster
About this book
Poet Muhammad al-Zaqzouq’s account of the first year of the war in Gaza.
Not To Become a Monster chronicles the seven occasions on which Muhammad and his wife and three sons were forced to relocate during that year and their struggle to survive in each of these places, which include relatives’ homes, tents, and makeshift shelters scattered across Khan Younis and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
He weaves the stories of those around him—family, friends, neighbours, fellow internal refugees—into his own narrative, and records the shockwaves of grief that strike both his own psyche and the tightly-knit extended family when loved ones are killed or homes destroyed. Amid the landscape of devastation, too, are memories of happier times; moments of unexpected joy, relief, and connection with others; and glimpses of the irrepressible strength and determination of Gazans, especially children, to continue living their lives.
Publishers
- Original publisher Arabic: Almutawassit
- English (Canada): PRH
- English (UK & Commonwealth ex Canada): 4th Estate
- Dutch: De Geus
- Italian: Einaudi
About the client & agent
