Beyond the Wall - Manifestos for the 21st Century by Bidisha Paperback

Book Synopsis

Through the voices of those who live it, Beyond the Wall unveils the everyday realities of occupation, resilience, and the fight for dignity in Palestine.

Their voices come from Bethlehem and Hebron. You can hear them from Jerusalem to Nazareth, and witness their protests in Gaza and Ramallah. From the refugee camps in the West Bank, you can hear the voices of the Palestinian people call out to demand self-determination and a better quality of life. But outside of Israel and the occupied territories, these individual voices are rarely heard--until now.

In Beyond the Wall: Writing a Path through Palestine, internationally renowned feminist critic and writer Bidisha collects the testimonies of an occupied people--ordinary citizens, activists, and children--alongside those of international aid workers and foreign visitors for a revelatory look at a population on the margins.

Called "beautifully belligerent, [and] fiercely intelligent" by The Independent and a "dazzlingly creative writer" by the London Times, Bidisha amplifies the voices of the Palestinian people in this book and lends them her own considerable strength.

Review Quotes

"Beyond the Wall would be an excellent introduction to the Palestinian question for anyone who feels they should know more about the subject but are overcome with a terrible inertia when confronted with epic historical tomes. For those who are already familiar with the Palestinian question, it would offer a fresh, emotional perspective on one of the most hotly debated topics of our time."-- "Mancunian"

"The Palestinians are subjugated by nihilism, chaos and anarchy in the name of control. . . . Their voices could be heard through the passages of hope the little children write in their writing classes; through the lies they feed the military to refuse them from sneaking into their personal life; through setting up homes in the camps when their houses are burnt down. Bidisha's narrative records these voices from beyond the wall, voices which are not of victimisation, but of resistance."--Deblina Hazra "Plato's Caves Online"

About the Author

Bidisha is a writer, critic, and radio and television broadcaster. The author of two novels, she currently writes on social and cultural issues for the Guardian, Observer, Financial Times, New Statesman, and others.