Writing a Memoir from Occupied Palestine

Writing a Memoir from Occupied Palestine In Gaza, I Dare to Dream: Writing a Memoir from Occupied Palestine Rana Shubair is a writer from Palestine specializing in English language training, testing, and translation. Her first book, In Gaza I Dare to Dream, is a powerful memoir detailing everyday life within the Gaza Blockade.I discovered my passion for writing at the age of 12. I'd buy a stack of paper and sit at the back of the school auditorium, scribbling down my thoughts. As a babysitter, I would write poetry for hours, long after putting the child to bed. It was a way of collecting my thoughts; I could express my feelings, if only to a diary. Over the years, I bought many locked diaries and wrote in them every day. It was my retreat, my passion, and my remedy.My country has been a place of turmoil for the past 68 years. Denied basic human rights like freedom of movement and access to proper medical care, the daily struggles we Palestinians endure under the Occupation is almost unbearable. In the city of Gaza, we have been under an Israeli-imposed siege for ten whole years now, locked in a big open-air prison and denied a normal life.   These harsh conditions pushed me to voice my thoughts, igniting a desire to speak to the outside world.I can't end this post without mentioning my book and cover designer, Domini Dragoone. What I loved most about her was her sincerity and enthusiasm for my project and the help she gave me beyond her design work.   Here is what she had to say about my manuscript: "I'm very moved by your book and hope it gets into the hands of many readers; I feel like your story has the power to inspire such compassion and understanding, both things that the world can use a lot more of! I don't always get to work on projects with topics that I care about a great deal, so it has been a treat to work on a book that feels very important".Now having published my first book,In Gaza I Dare to Dream, I'm happy to say that one of my dreams has come true. And I couldn’t have done it without the help of some great people.In Gaza I Dare to Dream  is  available on Amazon  for Kindle and Paperback.