4th Estate, a HarperCollins imprint, has secured the rights to a “deeply powerful” debut poetry collection about life in Gaza. The collection, written by award-winning Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha, was acquired in a competitive seven-way auction and is set for release in hardback on November 7th.
Kishani Widyaratna, publishing director at 4th Estate, obtained UK and Commonwealth rights from Fiona Baird at WME London, representing Eric Simonoff at WME. North American rights were acquired by John Freeman at Knopf.
Following the destruction of his home and community library by the Israeli army, Abu Toha and his family fled for safety. Despite the chaos, he continued to write poetry.
Widyaratna commented, “I have long admired Mosab Abu Toha’s powerful poetry and essays. It is an honor to welcome him to the 4th Estate list. His poems provide a remarkable portrayal of life under Israeli occupation and the assault on Gaza, and they offer a moving tribute to Palestinian life and loved ones. We are excited to share his work with readers this autumn.”
Abu Toha expressed his gratitude, stating, “I am honored to have my work published in the UK and to join the distinguished authors at 4th Estate. It is crucial for my poems, which reflect on life and survival in Palestine, especially Gaza, to reach more readers, particularly in the UK, where the Balfour Declaration of 1917 led to the suffering of many, including myself. My hope is that sharing these stories will help bring peace and justice to Palestine.”