Our Story

This organization was born out of a deep belief in the power of writing to effect change in Palestine and empower individuals and communities. These convictions will always be at the heart of our story.

The vision for the Palestine Writing Workshop was extraordinary from the first. When an academic instructor at Birzeit University saw immense artistic potential and interest from her students, she was determined to formalize creative education and opportunities to foster an emerging creative community in Palestine.

The moment of inspiration came during the Palestine Festival of Literature (PalFest) in 2009. PalFest, as part of its educational programming, visited Birzeit University and offered  six workshops on various topics. The creative writing workshop saw three times as many students as any other workshop, evidencing students' desire to learn techniques for expressing themselves through new modes.

With guidance from the Birzeit Department of English Language and Literature and the Center for Continuing Education, the vision started to grow into a reality--to build and sustain a community for emerging writers. The first step in realizing the vision was to offer writing workshops with the goal of eventually structuring them into a comprehensive curriculum. The Palestine Writing Workshop was officially created with its first writer in residence workshop, facilitated by PalFest participant and South African writer Rachel Holmes. Almost immediately, the Workshop drew overwhelming interest and has grown immensely since its earliest days. In an occupied land, where so few creative opportunities are permitted, this and other new initiatives offer hope and possibility.

With the invaluable support of the Palestine Festival of Literature and the British Council, the Workshop has built a foundation starting in Birzeit, Nablus and Gaza and continues to grow with work in Haifa, Jerusalem and Abu Deis.