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Susan Abulhawa

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Susan Abulhawa
Abulhawa in 2010
Born1970 (age 55–56)
Kuwait
Occupations
  • Activist
  • writer
Writing career
Notable works

Susan Abulhawa (Arabic: سوزان أبو الهوى; born 1970) is a Palestinian-American writer, and activist. She wrote the novels Mornings in Jenin, The Blue Between Sky and Water (2015), and Against the Loveless World (2020). She founded the children's organization Playgrounds for Palestine.

Early life and education

Susan Abulhawa's parents, born in At-Tur, a neighborhood on the Mount of Olives east of the Old City of Jerusalem, were Palestinian refugees of the Six-Day War in 1967. Her father, according to one account, "was expelled at gunpoint; her mother, who was studying in Germany at the time, was unable to return and the couple reunited in Jordan before moving to Kuwait, where Abulhawa was born in 1970."[1]

Her parents split shortly after her birth and Abulhawa's childhood was turbulent, moving between Kuwait, the United States, Jordan, and Palestine. She lived in the United States with an uncle until she was 5, then spent several years moving between relatives in Jordan and Kuwait. She lived in Dar al-Tifl al-Arabi, a Jerusalem orphanage, from the age of 10 to 13.[1] At 13 she returned to the United States, where she lived with her father briefly before entering the foster care system.[2]

Abulhawa studied biology at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina, and completed a masters in neuroscience (biomedical science) at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.[2][1]

After her studies, Abulhawa began a career in medical science.[2][1] Prior to dedicating herself to writing full-time, she worked as a researcher for a large pharmaceutical company.[3][4]

Activism

In July 2001, Abulhawa founded Playgrounds for Palestine, a non-governmental organization dedicated to upholding The Right to Play for Palestinian children and build playgrounds in Palestine and UN refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria.[5] The first playground was erected in early 2002.[6][7] She is involved in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and as a speaker for Al Awda, a Palestinian right of return coalition.[1] Abulhawa is signatory to the boycott campaign against Israel, including a cultural boycott. She gave the keynote address at one of the first campus BDS conferences at the University of Pennsylvania.[8] Abulhawa has said the BDS movement was "one of the most effective ways to promote Palestinian rights and achieve justice against Israel's ongoing ethnic cleansing".[9]

Abulhawa has compared Israel to apartheid South Africa.[10] In 2013, Abulhawa declined an invitation from Al Jazeera Media Network to participate in a discussion about the Nakba with three or four Israelis, having been asked by the producer to participate as the only Palestinian as they needed her to "balance things out".[11] In an explanatory letter, she criticized the premise of the discussion, comparing it to featuring descendants of Nazis on Holocaust Remembrance Day with a token Jewish participant.[12]

In 2024, Abulhawa declared in light of the Gaza war that "Israel is committing the holocaust of our time, and it is doing it in full view of a seemingly indifferent world."[13] On November 29, 2024, Abulhawa was invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion "This House Believes Israel is an Apartheid State Responsible for Genocide". She spoke as a member of a team in favor of the proposition together with Miko Peled and Mohammed El-Kurd. The motion was carried with a majority of 278 to 59. The Oxford Union later deleted her original recording on YouTube and uploaded a censored version.[14] The parts of Abulhawa's speech that were edited out by the Oxford Union included her mentions of the IDF's abuse of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians and the IDF's use of "booby trapped toys".[15] Abulhawa responded that the Union seemed to have yielded to demands from Zionists "as Palestinians struggle to make our voices heard in the midst of a genocide".[16][17] Abulhawa sued the Oxford Union and a settlement was reached under which the Oxford Union made Abulhawa's full speech available on its platforms.[18]

Abulhawa has referred to Israelis as "rootless, soulless ghouls" in her writing, as well as describing the October 7, 2023 attacks as a "spectacular moment that shocked the world".[19][20] She described the Gaza war as a "Jewish supremacist slaughter", writing, "these sons of Satan will taste what they meted to us".[20][21] Abulhawa has said that she "wholeheartedly" embraces "armed and violent resistance".[22] After an Israeli-American was shot dead near Jericho in February 2023, Abulhawa called him "human garbage".[23][24] In December 2024, Abulhawa said that Zionists "aren't human like us" and that "we're ruled by spawns of Satan", in reference to Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro signing missiles alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a factory supplying munitions to Ukraine.[25]

In May 2025, after the Capital Jewish Museum shooting in which two Israeli Embassy staff were killed, Abulhawa said the victims were "genocidal cheerleaders" and "human garbage", and that "no genocidal Zionist should be safe anywhere in the world". She described the attack as "an act of resistance", while also saying that it could be "a false flag to focus [attention] on manufactured antisemitism".[25][26] In August 2025, Abulhawa wrote that "Israelis should not feel safe anywhere in the world", and "I also don't give a shit if people collapse the distinction between zionists from jews". She called to "wipe that vile colony [Israel] from this earth".[27]

In April 2026, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned Abulhawa's comments as "reprehensible" and "patently unacceptable".[28][19][20][29] Al Jazeera stated that some activists, such as Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, criticized Mamdani for "reinforcing harmful narratives that conflate support for Palestinians with anti-Jewish sentiment".[20] In a video statement, Abulhawa said that her comments were not antisemitic or anti-Jewish because racism "can only flow from those who have power".[30] She said that "Israel and by extension, Israelis ... have destroyed, shattered and robbed my family of everything", and described "the feelings [Palestinians] have of pain, rage, contempt or hatred, coupled with the impotence to make the suffering stop".[31]

In August 2026, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Abulhawa an "unabashed antisemite".[29] Abulhawa's publisher, Simon & Schuster, said that it opposed antisemitism, racism and other forms of bigotry, and stated that Abulhawa's personal views did not represent the company or its employees.[29][32]

Writing

Abulhawa's political and romantic fiction is written in English. Her first language in which she learned to read and write was Arabic.[5] Her writing career began with essays and political commentaries. Her work appeared in newspapers and magazines, including the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Internationalist, The Christian Science Monitor , and more.[33]

Abulhawa is a contributing author to two anthologies, Shattered Illusions (Amal Press, 2002) and Searching Jenin (Cune Press, 2003).[34]

Her debut novel The Scar of David (2006), republished as Mornings in Jenin (2010), is a multigenerational family epic spanning five countries and more than sixty years, focusing on the effects on Palestinians of the Israeli occupation. It became an international bestseller translated into 32 languages.[1][35][36]

In 2013 Abulhawa published a collection of poetry entitled My Voice Sought the Wind.[37]

Her second novel, The Blue Between Sky and Water (2015), a novel of family, love and loss centered on Gaza City, garnered a global readership and critical acclaim.[38][39] Her third novel, Against the Loveless World, was published in 2020, again to critical acclaim.[12][40][41]

Novels

  • Mornings in Jenin (Bloomsbury, 2010, ISBN 978-1608190461).
  • The Blue Between Sky and Water (Bloomsbury, 2015, ISBN 978-1632862228).
  • Against the Loveless World (Bloomsbury, 2020, ISBN 978-1526618801).

Other

  • Abulhawa, Susan (2025). "Gaza is Humanity's Moment of Truth". In Davutoglu, Ahmet; Falk, Richard (eds.). Genocide in Gaza: Voices of Global Conscience. SCB Distributors.
  • Will the Flower Slip Through the Asphalt: Writers Respond to Capitalist Climate Change, New Delhi: LeftWord Books, 2017.
  • This Is Not A Border: Reportage & Reflections from the Palestine Festival of Literature, New York: Bloomsbury, 2017.[42]
  • Shattered Illusions, anthology (Amal Press, 2002)[43]
  • Searching Jenin, anthology (Cune Press, 2003)[43]
  • "Memories of an un-Palestinian story, in a can of tuna" in an anthology: Penny Johnson; Raja Shehadeh (eds.) (2012). Seeking Palestine: New Palestinian Writing on Exile and Home.[44]
  • My Voice Sought The Wind, poetry collection (Charlottesville: Just World Books, November 2013)[45]

Awards

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Yaqoob, Tahira (April 26, 2012). "Arab-American novelist fights for justice in Palestine". The National. Abu Dhabi. Archived from the original on May 31, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Rhodes, Giulia (June 6, 2015). "Building playgrounds in Palestine: 'This is their special place and refuge'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  3. ↑ Day, Susie (August 27, 2023). "Writing Palestine". CounterPunch.org. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ Background - Authorial Context: Susa Abulhawa Archived December 20, 2024, at the Wayback Machine, supersummary.com. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Mornings in Jenin: The Strange and Circuitous Path of a Palestinian-American Novel". arablit.org. April 1, 2012. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Meet Us". Playgrounds for Palestine. Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  7. ↑ Adams, John (March 2003), "Playgrounds for Palestine Brings Playground for Peace" (PDF), Today's Playground, archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2007, retrieved October 13, 2009
  8. ↑ Robbins, Annie (February 15, 2012). "Out of the Ballpark: Susan Abulhawa's Speech to the PennBDS Conference". Mondoweiss. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  9. ↑ Bland, Sally (March 27, 2012). "Susan Abulhawa: Writing for Palestine". The Jordan Times. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  10. ↑ Abulhawa, Susan (2009). "Palestinians Will Never Forget". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. American Educational Trust. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  11. ↑ Weiss, Philip (May 19, 2013). "Abulhawa Declines to 'Balance Out' Several Israelis in 'Al Jazeera' Forum on Nakba". Mondoweiss. Archived from the original on June 22, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Abulhawa, Susan (May 14, 2013). "Are Israelis Now Appropriating the Nakba?". Palestine Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 28, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  13. ↑ "I Went to Gaza. What I Saw Was a Holocaust". Novara Media. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  14. ↑ Mulla, Imran (October 29, 2025). "'An assault on history': Censorship of author Susan Abulhawa roils Oxford Union". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on June 5, 2026. Retrieved August 30, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. ↑ Robson, Noah; Makarina, Arina (September 5, 2025). "Oxford Union sued for editing Susan Abulhawa's speech - Cherwell". Cherwell. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Oxford Union criticized for censorship after Israel debate". The Jerusalem Post. December 15, 2024. Archived from the original on October 23, 2025. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  17. ↑ "How the Oxford Union debate was won". Jewish Voice for Labor. December 1, 2024. Archived from the original on September 6, 2025. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Susan Abulhawa wins fight to restore censored Oxford Union speech on Israel apartheid". Middle East Monitor. October 7, 2026. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
  19. 1 2 Powell, Michael (March 14, 2026). "Where Mamdani Has Refused to Moderate". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Why is NYC's Mamdani facing criticism over response to attacks on wife?". Al Jazeera. March 15, 2026. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  21. ↑ Heller, Mathilda (August 24, 2026). "Anti-Israel report turns disputed sexual violence allegations into 'facts'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  22. ↑ Miller, Anna (August 12, 2026). "Simon & Schuster Should Explain Its Decision to Republish Susan Abulhawa". The American Spectator. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Writer rejects 'cheerleader for Putin' label ahead of Adelaide literary festival talk". ABC News. March 7, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  24. ↑ Obel, Ash (March 13, 2023). "Australian literary fest hosts Palestinian writers who peddle antisemitic tropes". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  25. 1 2 Walker, Corey (May 23, 2025). "Prominent Palestinian Writer Dismisses Victims of Fatal DC Shooting as 'Genocide Cheerleaders'". Algemeiner Journal. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Palestinian-American author supports killing of Israeli diplomats in DC, says she's surprised it didn't happen sooner". The Times of India. May 25, 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  27. ↑ Sommerfeldt, Chris; Beeferman, Jason (March 17, 2026). "Zohran's pro-Palestinian St. Patrick's Day". Politico. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  28. ↑ Pazmino, Gloria (March 23, 2026). "Rama Duwaji, NYC's first lady, faces new scrutiny over her art and social media". CNN. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  29. 1 2 3 Levine, Jon (August 12, 2026). "Simon & Schuster Vows To Publish Author Who Calls Jews 'Roaches': Publisher Still Claims It Opposes Antisemitism". The Washington Free Beacon. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Mamdani condemns rhetoric of Palestinian author whose work his wife illustrated". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. March 16, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Why is NYC's Mamdani facing criticism over response to attacks on wife?". Al Jazeera. March 15, 2026. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  32. ↑ Posner, Gerald (August 7, 2026). "When Publishers Pick Sides". The Free Press. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  33. 1 2 "Susan Abulhawa EAA '03". Leeway Foundation. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Georgetown SFS-Q Hosts 'Mornings in Jenin'". Georgetown University in Qatar. August 23, 2014. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  35. ↑ Badih, Samia (May 4, 2012). "Palestine on Her Mind". Gulf News. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  36. ↑ "Review: Mornings in Jenin". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Susan Abulhawa's My Voice Sought the Wind – Poetry Review". Palestine Chronicle. October 25, 2013. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  38. ↑ Saif, Atef Abu (August 6, 2015). "The Blue Between Sky and Water by Susan Abulhawa review - a displaced Palestinian family's bid for survival". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on March 11, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  39. ↑ "BOOK REVIEW: The Blue Between Sky and Water by Susan Abulhawa". Author Suanne Schafer. November 20, 2025. Archived from the original on March 19, 2026. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  40. ↑ Khadivi, Laleh (August 26, 2020). "A Beautiful, Urgent Novel of the Palestinian Struggle". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Fiction Book Review: Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  42. ↑ "This Is Not a Border: Reportage & Reflection from the Palestine Festival of Literature". Bloomsbury.
  43. 1 2 "Bloomsbury Biography". Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  44. ↑ Abulhawa, Susan (2012). "Memories of an un-Palestinian story, in a can of tuna". In Johnson, Penny; Shehadeh, Raja (eds.). Seeking Palestine: New Palestinian Writing on Exile and Home. New Delhi: Women Unlimited. ISBN 978-8188965731. OCLC 796756354.
  45. ↑ "My Voice Sought the Wind". Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  46. 1 2 3 "Against the Loveless World: A Novel | This House of Books". November 2, 2021. Archived from the original on September 6, 2025. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  47. ↑ Marder, Dianna (April 15, 2010). "Novels she wrote, in Philadelphia". Inquirer.com. Archived from the original on August 30, 2026. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Shubbak Literature Festival 2017: Catch-up Audio". The British Library blogs. Archived from the original on October 15, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  49. ↑ "MEMO Book Awards 2013 honours Rashid Khalidi, Raja Shehadeh and Penny Johnson". Palestine Book Awards. November 14, 2013. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  50. ↑ "All 4 Palestine - Model Role Details". www.all4palestine.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  51. ↑ "Susan Abulhawa Writes to Affirm Palestinian Existence". Aspen Institute. February 16, 2021. Archived from the original on November 10, 2025. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  52. ↑ "Aspen Institute Announces the Five Finalists for the 2021 Aspen Words Literary Prize". Aspen Institute. Archived from the original on October 7, 2025. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  53. ↑ "2021 Arab American Book Award Winners". Arab American National Museum. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  54. ↑ "Palestinian author Susan Abulhawa's 'Against the Loveless World' nominated for US literary award". Arab News. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.

Further reading

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