Ali Abu Yasin, a playwright from Gaza, has been awarded the "Writer of Courage 2026" by English PEN for his artistic resilience amid ongoing conflict. The announcement was made on Thursday in London. Abu Yasin has faced Israeli bombardment, displacement, and personal loss over the past three years. He expressed that the award is significant not only for him but also for Gaza and the Palestinian people.
Abu Yasin began writing plays and mastering the oud as a teenager in the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza. Following the escalation of conflict in October 2023, he shifted his focus from writing plays to documenting life under bombardment. He noted that during the first two years of the conflict, he wrote about the dire situation as many Palestinians fled and faced life-threatening circumstances.
He stated, "There was no theatre; it was impossible to have a theatre because Gaza was being destroyed." Since the beginning of the conflict, over 74,000 people have reportedly been killed in Gaza, with many survivors being displaced multiple times.
Abu Yasin collaborates with actors who rehearse in makeshift tents amidst the sounds of gunfire. He recounted near-death experiences and the loss of friends and family during the conflict. His son was trapped under rubble, and his home was bombed, leading him to prioritize his family's safety and document the events for the world to understand.
In 2004, he began working with the Said Al-Mishal Theatre, which was destroyed in an Israeli bombing in 2018. He has been recognized for his series, the Gaza Monologues, which reflects both joyful and painful experiences in Gaza. Recently, he left Gaza with support from an artist residency program in France.
Abu Yasin remarked, "I didn’t actually leave the war. The war lives in me, Gaza lives in me." He has adapted to conserve resources due to the humanitarian crisis. The award ceremony coincided with his trip to France, allowing him to attend the event at the British Library.
An English PEN spokesperson highlighted the limited freedom of movement faced by writers in Gaza and its impact on their expression. Abu Yasin's recent play, 50 Minutes, addresses themes of genocide and mourning, with actors rehearsing in a car park without prior theatre experience.
He was nominated for the award by British academic Jacqueline Rose, who described his work as a significant commentary on the Palestinian experience. The Writer of Courage award is given to authors who advocate for freedom of expression, often at great personal risk. English PEN, the UK branch of PEN International, has called for an arms embargo on Israel and condemned the killing of Palestinian writers. Abu Yasin has three children and 16 grandchildren, all of whom remain in Gaza except for one son who is an actor in France. He expressed a desire for peace and freedom, stating, "In Gaza, we have simple dreams. We want to live in peace and to live in freedom."