Ghassan Kanafani (selected Political Writings)

A revolutionary journey of one of Palestine''s most brilliant writers

''No other author has been as profoundly formative for me as Kanafani'' - Mohammed El-Kurd, author of Rifqa

''I cannot think of a better collection to guide anyone seeking a moral role in the struggle for the liberation of Palestine'' - Ilan Pappé, author of The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine

Ghassan Kanafani (1936 - 1972) is perhaps the greatest Palestinian novelist, whose books including Men in the Sun and Returning to Haifa documented the horrors of war and occupation. He was also a leading political thinker, strategist and revolutionary. Here, his writings on politics, history, national liberation and the media are collected in English for the first time.

Featuring new commentary from leading writers, this collection is a testament to Kanafani''s continuing relevance. His work remains a vital touchstone for revolutionary Palestinian struggle and anti-colonial thought.

Introduction: The Revolutionary Journey of Ghassan Kanafani - Louis Brehony and Tahrir Hamdi
Part I. Revolutionary routes: Arab Nationalism and Socialism
1. On Childhood, Literature, Marxism, the Front and al-Hadaf (1972) - Introduction by Hania A. M. Nashef
2. Yemen and Iraq: One Story or Two? (1964) - Introduction by Patrick Higgins
3. Fares Fares: This is the Famous Professor (1965) - Introduction by As''ad AbuKhalil
Part II. War, Defeat and Revolutionary Critique
4. Resistance is the Essence (1967) - Introduction by Louis Brehony
5. Thoughts on Change and the ''Blind Language'' (1968) - Introduction by Rabab Abdulhadi
6. Will the September Settlement Surprise Us? (1969) - Introduction by Louis Brehony
Part III. ''The Target.'' Building the Marxist-Leninist Front
7. Excerpts from Strategy for the Liberation of Palestine (1969) - Introduction by Khaled Barakat
8. The Resistance and its Challenges: View of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (1970) - Introduction by Max Ajl
9. The Underlying Synthesis of the Revolution: Document on the Organisational Weapon (1971) - Introduction by Wissam Rafeedie
10. On the PFLP and the September Crisis (1971) - Introduction by Thomas Hofland
Part IV. Kanafani and the Media
11. "A conversation between the sword and the neck" (1970) - Introduction by Romana Rubeo
12. Denmark: A Study in Media Experience (1972) - Introduction by Ibrahim Aoude
13. Concerning the Case of Abu Hamidu: Issues of Media ''Exchange'' with the Enemy (1972) - Introduction by Asma Hussain
Part V. Intifadas of Thought: Looking to the Future
14. The Secret Alliance Between Saudi Arabia and Israel (1970) - Introduction by Nafez Ghneim
15. Towards a Constructive Dialogue on Palestinian National Unity (1969) - Introduction by Tahrir Hamdi
16. The Armed Action Unit: In Light of Recent Developments (1969) - Introduction by Tahrir Hamdi
Appendix: Reflections on the Early Works of Ghassan Kanafani - Amira Silmi, Romana Rubeo, Ramzy Baroud and Malek Abisaab, Introduction by Louis Brehony

''Ghassan Kanafani is a giant for many reasons, foremost among them his unwavering commitment to class analysis and critique, and his mastery of these two transformative (but undervalued) political frameworks. Kanafani’s revolutionary writings are as elucidating as they are incendiary, transcending the reductive identitarianism that often hinders revolutionary literature, transcending perfunctory symbolism and inaccessible jargon, and cutting through the noise of ‘blind language.’ No other author has been as profoundly formative for me as Kanafani, and I am certain this holds true for c