Beneath Gaza's Stars
These are not just poems. They are living documents—breath, soil, grief, and starlight. They are Palestine. A collection of 13 poems, inspired by the stars above Gaza and eyes that search for meaning and direction when all has been lost.
Introduction
I’m a girl, just like many others…
Once, I dreamed of a life that touched the stars,
A world full of light, where the sky never ends.
But I was born in the shadow of walls that never stop whispering.
A person with dreams that stretch far beyond this city,
But I have nothing grand to offer,
Just fragments of myself I couldn’t bear to lose.
These words were born from the chaos of broken days,
From nights when silence feels louder than bombs.
And maybe, somewhere, in some forgotten corner,
They’ll find someone who needed them too.
Sample Excerpt
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About the Author
Heba Ali is a graduate of the Faculty of Arts, Department of English Language, at Al-Azhar University in Gaza.
About the Illustrator
Veronica Petrie is a designer and illustrator from Scotland. She has illustrated several children’s books and her work has been exhibited across Europe. Her illustrations featured in a UK natural parenting magazine for two decades, before she left to illustrate for Zines from Gaza in 2025. Veronica believes strongly that art and artists have an important part to play in resisting the status quo. Her current illustration project deals with questions of memory, identity, and what survives when culture is suppressed.
Follow her on Instagram.