ReadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2025

Book of Wills

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Akoya Publishing

Publishing:19th Mar '26

£14.99

This title is due to be published on 19th March, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

Book of Wills cover

A haunting anthology amplifying the voices of Palestinians during the ongoing war on Gaza, with introductions by Judith Butler and Alberto Manguel.

'To write a will under siege is not surrender – it’s defiance. It says: I existed. I felt. I belonged. I am not yours to erase.' – Reem Ghanayem

In Book of Wills, eighteen Gazan writers share their last will and testament.

A profound exploration of the written word as an act of resistance, the collection includes pieces by several writers who have since been killed, including the poem ‘If I Must Die’ by Rifaat Al-Ara’ir.

Book of Wills is a devastating account of the human cost of war, and bears witness to the lives and memories of the Gazan people.

'There is almost no politics in Book of Wills, which . . . brings together the testimonies of Gazan writers from the heart of the war. This is an emotional portrait of life in the shadow of horror and death, where every moment may be the last.'

-- Suha Taweel Kadry * The Heartbreaking Final Testimonies of Gazan Writers and Poets *

'These writings invite us to think and ask very important questions: . . . What can language do in the face of this existential catastrophe . . .'

-- Karim Mohamed * 7iber *

'It seems that the Palestinian has nothing left to offer the world except his will . . .'

-- Karim Mohamed

'This book isn't just for reading, it's a book for history . . . It's important for the words in this book to stay alive.'

-- Yasmine Hassan * Death is everywhere in Gaza. That has prompted people of all ages to write their last words for loved one

ISBN: 9781836750000

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

112 pages