‘How many dead Palestinians are enough?’ The unbearable prescience of the late poet Refaat Alareer

The author and academic was killed in an Israeli airstrike a year ago. A posthumous collection of his work, If I Must Die, tells the stories of Gaza in a plea for change

In the face of siege and war in Gaza, the writer and educator Refaat Alareer fought for his people’s right to narrate their experiences and history. “As a Palestinian, I have been brought up on stories and storytelling,” writes Alareer. “It’s both selfish and treacherous to keep a story to yourself.”

First written in 2022, these lines now sit at the heart of If I Must Die, a posthumous collection from Alareer’s eclectic and compelling oeuvre. Published by OR Books to mark a year since the writer’s death by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, If I Must Die contains a selection of journalism, literary criticism, essays and poems written between 2010 and 2023. Taken together, they provide a glimpse into a restless political and literary mind, one that was still rising to the height of its powers.

Topics

How Many People Have Died in Syria’s Civil War?

The United Nations and human rights organizations have faced challenges in counting all those killed and missing in the conflict that began in March 2011.
The New York Times - 16h
How Many Gift Guides Does a Person Need?

These days, everyone fancies themselves a curator of covetable items. Some find it exhausting.
The New York Times - 4d
British pubs are changing — but is it enough?

Group valuations have fallen over the past decade but there are signs that larger companies can still eke out growth
Financial Times - 4d
Israeli-Palestinian pop group "as1one" on how they promote unity through music

"as1one" is the first male pop group to include both Israeli and Palestinian artists, formed after a talent search in Israel. The group's message of unity remained strong even in the aftermath of ...
CBS News - 5d
Many reported dead in Israeli attack in northern Gaza Strip

Yahoo News - 5d
A Poet Becomes a Jewelry Maker. But She Still is a Poet.

Teresa Kiplinger’s work features a mix of highly detailed images and fragments of her own poems.
The New York Times - 6d
Vietnam pushes electric motorbikes as pollution becomes 'unbearable'

Yahoo News - Dec. 4
Here's How Many PS2s Sony Made In Its Lifetime

The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling console of all time, and now the exact number of units produced has been confirmed by a former PlayStation executive.. Over on Twitter , an image was floating ...
GameSpot - Dec. 2
How Many Black Pants Should I Own?

A reader asks about the ideal number of black pants to own. Our fashion critic provides guidance on how many essential wardrobe pieces one should have.
The New York Times - Dec. 2