In a very special episode our hosts, Beesan Ramadan and Mirza Waheed are in conversation with the brilliant Mahmoud al-Shaer - editor, curator and poet.

This episode was recorded between Madrid, Ramallah and London on February 17th, 2026.

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Watch the PalFest poetry event curated and introduced by Mahmoud in 2023 here.

Purchase A Year on the Abyss of Genocide as part of the October/November Bookshelf Bundle here.

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Credit to Meqdad.J on Soundcloud for the use of مراجيح | بصوت الشهيدة فاطمة حسونة (Swings - Sung by the Martyr Fatima Hassouna)

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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