The Book of Gaza: A City in Short Fiction Edited by Atef Abu Saif

Book Review by Angus Sutherland | 01 Aug 2014
Book title: The Book of Gaza
Author: Atef Abu Saif

Here is the latest in Comma Press’s The Book ofseries, a cycle that’s taken in cities as geographically and culturally disparate as Tokyo and Leeds. This collection of Gazan-authored short stories is certainly timely. Though, in truth, it would also have been timely in 2008-2009, or again less than two years ago, in late 2012.

Curated, translated tales, dating from 1980 to the present, sourced from a region described in the introduction as ‘the largest prison on earth,’ serve as something of a rarity for English-speaking readers. This in itself recommends The Book of Gaza. It exists as an affecting companion piece to the sterile and familiar news reports. Indeed, that is the hope of the collection’s editor, Atef Abu Saif, who touts the stories as a ‘composite reflecting the rich world of fiction in [Gaza], better known for feeding the world’s hungry media with a stream of headlines.’

The quality of the writing is inconsistent, though. Mona Abu Sharekh’s When I Cut Off Gaza’s Head certainly boasts that taut magic so particular to the short story form. And Ghareeb Asqalani’s A White Flower for David thrives amidst the bleak and violent predictability of the region. But, frankly, Yusra al Khatib’s Dead Numbers is a nonentity. This and a couple of others besides undermine an otherwise vital collection.

Out now, published by Comma Press, RRP £9.99