Read the last words of writer Heba Abu Nada, who was killed last week by an Israeli airstrike.
Novelist, poet, and educator Heba Abu Nada, a beloved figure in the Palestinian literary community and the author of Oxygen is Not for the Dead, was killed by an Israeli airstrike on Friday. She was thirty-two years old.
In her final tweet, written in Arabic on October 8, the author wrote: “Gaza’s night is dark apart from the glow of rockets, quiet apart from the sound of the bombs, terrifying apart from the comfort of prayer, black apart from the light of the martyrs. Good night, Gaza.”
Abu Nada was educated at Islamic University, Gaza, where she was awarded a bachelor’s degree of biochemistry. She went on to received a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from Al-Azhar University, Gaza. In 2017, Abu Nada won the Sharjah Award for Arab Creativity for Oxygen is Not for the Dead.
This is one of poetry and novelist Heba Abu Nada interviews. She is reciting one of her poems. Heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/ZpcWt2KgQg
— Abdalhadi Alijla عبد الهادي العجلة (@alijla2021) October 21, 2023
Earlier today, the British-born Cypriot poet, writer, publisher Anthony Anaxagorou reported that the following were Abu Nada’s last words, penned just before her death:
We find ourselves in an indescribable state of bliss amidst the chaos. Amidst the ruins, a new city emerges—a testament to our resilience. Cries of pain echo through the air, mingling with the blood-stained garments of doctors. Teachers, despite their grievances, embrace their little pupils, while families display unwavering strength in the face of adversity.
