In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Hilary Rantisi speaks with Malu Halasa and Jordan Elgrably, editors of the new book Sumūd: A New Palestinian Reader. They discuss the meaning of sumūd to different people — how it encompasses steadfastness, coping with ongoing oppression, as well as joy and celebration of Palestinian identity — and the variety of voices and media they platform in this new anthology. They recite a few poems published in the book and discuss the the unique ways that poetry and art can enter a person’s heart and consciousness and offer a window into Palestinian culture and experience more broadly.

Malu Halasa is a literary editor at The Markaz Review. Before this book, her latest edited anthology is Woman Life Freedom: Voices and Art From the Women’s Protests in Iran (Saqi Books, 2023) and she published her debut novel, Mother of All Pigs, in 2017.  

Jordan Elgrably is a writer and translator whose stories and creative nonfiction have appeared in many anthologies and reviews. He is the Editor-in-chief and founder of The Markaz Review and the cofounder and former director of the Levantine Cultural Center/The Markaz in Los Angeles.

Hilary Rantisi grew up in Palestine and has been involved with education and advocacy on the Middle East since her move to the US. She is currently the Associate Director of the Religion, Conflict and Peace Initiative (RCPI) and co-instructor of Learning in Context: Narratives of Displacement and Belonging in Israel/Palestine at Harvard Divinity School. She is a 2025 FMEP non-resident Fellow.