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Mosab Abu Toha

Palestinian poet, essayist, and founder of the Edward Said Library

Born in
Gaza, Palestine
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Why Mosab is here

Abu Toha preserves the intimate textures of life in Gaza through poetry and created a public English-language library to widen access to books and learning.

Their story

Mosab Abu Toha is a Palestinian poet, essayist, short-story writer, and librarian from Gaza. He founded the Edward Said Library, an English-language public library in Gaza, and has served as a visiting poet and librarian-in-residence at Harvard University. His debut collection, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear, won a Palestine Book Award. In 2025 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for his essays on Gaza in The New Yorker.

Milestones

The moments that shaped Mosab’s path.

  1. 2017

    Founded the Edward Said Library in Gaza.

  2. 2019-2020

    Served as a visiting poet and librarian-in-residence at Harvard University.

  3. 2022

    Published Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear.

  4. 2022

    Received a Palestine Book Award for his debut collection.

Legacy

What they built, changed and left behind.

  1. Built access to English-language books and cultural programming through the Edward Said Library.

  2. Writes poetry that records family life, memory, displacement, and survival in Gaza.

  3. Has brought contemporary Palestinian poetry to readers and audiences internationally.

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