In our first episode of 2026, The PalFest Podcast brings you a discussion between two authors on their writing processes, identities and personal experiences. The conversation delves into the complexities of love, trauma, and survival in the face of conflict and displacement.

Hala Alyan's I'll Tell You When I'm Home was published in June 2025 by Simon & Schuster.

Mai Serhan's I Can Imagine It for Us was published in October 2025 by The American University in Cairo press and is the PalFest Bookshelf pick for February & March 2026.

This episode was recorded between New York and Cairo on February 2nd, 2026.

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In a wide-ranging discussion the two writers compare notes on their experiences of publishing debut novels in English, how their work was packaged, presented and received - and the ways in which that diverged from their intentions when writing.

Saleem Haddad's GUAPA was published in 2016 by Europa Editions to great acclaim. His new novel, FLOODLINES, is about to come out.

Yasmin Zaher's THE COIN was published in 2025 and won the Dylan Thomas Prize - one of the most prestigious awards for young writers.

This episode was recorded between Paris and Lisbon on November 24th, 2025.

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“Israel is a defeated project.” So begins Nasser Abourahme’s monumental essay in PALESTINE IS EVERYWHERE.

Join us for the latest episode of the PalFest Podcast for a deep, structural analysis of Israel’s current strengths and weaknesses, the geopolitical shifts happening all around it and much, much more. It’s a fascinating conversation between Nasser and the book’s senior editor Edwin Nasr - and we’re thrilled to bring it to you for our 7th Episode.

Nasser is a writer and teacher, and currently assistant professor at Bowdoin College. He’s the author of The Time Beneath the Concrete: Palestine between Camp and Colony (Duke University Press, 2025).

Edwin is a writer and curator living in Berlin, his first short novel, Fears Eats Ali (Wendy's Subway and Wirklichkeit Books), is forthcoming.

This episode was recorded between New York and Berlin on November 12th, 2025.

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Buy a copy of Palestine is Everywhere here

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