Tarwida

Bassem Khandaqji is a Palestinian novelist from Nablus who spent more than 2 decades in Israeli prison, sentenced to three life terms. In 2024, while still behind bars,  he won the international book prize for Arabic fiction (Arabic Booker Prize) for his novel Mask of the Sky (قناع بلون السماء). Released in October 2024 in a prisoner exchange deal, he now lives in exile in Cairo.

In this episode of Tarwida, Bassem Khandaqji speaks about writing novels under occupation, while writing was forbidden — drafting by hand at 4am, making three copies of every manuscript, and smuggling completed works out of detention. 

The conversation covers the cultural and academic life inside Israeli prisons, its destruction after October 7 — what Khandaqji calls cultural genocide. He discusses his novels in depth, including how he spent a year immersed in Hebrew-language media to write his Israeli protagonist — thinking in Hebrew, writing in Arabic. He introduces Adab al-Ishtibak — Literature of Engagement — a framework for anti-colonial literature that dismantles Zionist ideology. He reflects on Yaffa, Jerusalem, Palestinian exile, and Mahmoud Darwish, and discusses his next novel about late fellow prisoner Walid Daqqa.

باسم خندقجي روائي فلسطيني من نابلس، قضى أكثر من عقدين في السجون الإسرائيلية بحكم بثلاثة مؤبدات. في 2024، فاز وهو خلف القضبان بالجائزة العالمية للرواية العربية (البوكر العربي) عن روايته "قناع بلون السماء"، وأُفرج عنه في أكتوبر 2024 ضمن صفقة تبادل، ويعيش اليوم في المنفى بالقاهرة.

في هذه الحلقة من ترويدة، يتحدث خندقجي عن الكتابة تحت الاحتلال — يكتب بخط يده في الرابعة فجراً، ينسخ كل مخطوطة ثلاث مرات، ويهرّبها خارج الاحتجاز. يتناول الحياة الثقافية داخل السجون الإسرائيلية وما لحق بها من دمار بعد ال 7 من أكتوبر، وعاماً أمضاه منغمساً في الإعلام العبري لكتابة شخصيته الإسرائيلية، ومفهوم "أدب الاشتباك"، وروايته القادمة عن الأسير الشهيد وليد دقة.

–

This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun.

This conversation was recorded in person on February 8, 2026, in Cairo. You can watch it with English subtitles on YouTube.

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, and more, about their very own Palestine. In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be.

Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast

--

Relevant links and Resources: 

What made Tatreez — Palestinian embroidery — the symbol of Palestinian identity? Not ceramics, not glass blowing, not straw weaving. Why the stitch?

Today, we sit down with Palestinian artist and author Joanna Barakat, who has spent years chasing this question. She unravels the deep-seated significance of Tatreez (Palestinian embroidery). Once hand-stitched by women in rural villages to signal their status and environment, Tatreez underwent a radical transformation following the 1948 Nakba. 

The result is Narrative Threads (2025), an anthology featuring 24 living Palestinian artists who use tatreez in their work — from Sliman Mansour and Nabil Anani to artists working inside Gaza right now, embroidering evacuation maps in real time. 

Joanna shares how Palestinian artists in the 1960s intentionally elevated these traditional motifs into a collective national symbol to spark a sense of "Palestinian-ness" and resist cultural erasure.

Whether you grew up with Tatreez in your home or are just beginning to explore the language of each motif, this conversation offers a powerful look at how a centuries-old craft continues to evolve as a living archive of Palestinian existence.

This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 

This conversation was recorded on February 2nd, 2026. You can watch it on YouTube, here. 

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  

In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 

Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast

--

Relevant links and Resources: 

Relevant Tarwida Episodes:

Chapters:

0:00       Introduction — the artists who painted around the rules

1:45       Meet Joanna Barakat — Jerusalem, Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi

4:00       Tatreez as an indigenous language — writing an autobiography in thread

7:00       Why Joanna grew up without tatreez in the house

8:30       Tatreez motifs and emojis — a new way to see the stitch

9:50       Before the Nakba — village life, regional dress, and the thobe

13:00    Trade routes, Bethlehem's gold thread, and regional variation of Tatreez

16:00    Personal creativity within the tradition — how women made the thobe their own

19:00    1948 and the 1960s  the rupture and the refugee camp dresses

21:30    How PLO-era artists made tatreez a national symbol

25:00    Machine embroidery — pros, cons, and how to tell the difference

30:30    Tatreez on denim — is modern fashion evolution or dilution?

32:45    Heartstrings — the painting Joanna stitched into her own skin

36:00    Reclaiming a motif — the book that never said "Palestine"

37:30    Tatreez Circle — how a community built itself one workshop at a time

40:00    Can you truly learn heritage through a screen?

44:00    COVID, October 2023, and the urgency of preservation

47:00    Narrative Threads — why this book needed to exist

49:30    How the  24 artists in Narrative Threads were chosen— and what connects them

53:30    Broken Weddings — the most powerful artwork in the book

57:00    Joanna's next body of work and future plans

58:30    How to find Tatreez Circle and join a workshop

Today, Palestinian author and activist Laila El-Haddad explores the intersection of food, politics, and identity. Discussing her acclaimed books The Gaza Kitchen and Gaza Mom, El-Haddad reflects on how culinary traditions serve as "repositories of dignity" and vital acts of resistance. The conversation spans from the unique spicy and herbaceous flavor profiles of Gazan cuisine to her experience filming with Anthony Bourdain and her activism, including her court case against the Biden Administration. Ultimately, Laila illustrates how heritage cooking has transformed from a cultural archive into a primary tool for survival and agency in the face of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 

This conversation was recorded on December 2nd, 2025. You can watch it on YouTube, here. 

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  

In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 

Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast

--

Relevant links and Resources: 

Long before books and screens, people relied on storytelling to connect with one another, remember their past, and make sense of the world around them.

In this episode, we sit with Palestinian storyteller Sally Shalabi to explore the Palestinian context of this ancient tradition. As she invites us into her craft, we learn how she reimagines and adapts traditional stories to make them resonate with our time. 

For Sally, storytelling is far more than just entertainment, it helps us imagine what liberation from a settler colonial reality might look like, which is the first step towards building alternative futures.  

This episode is hosted by Afaf Shawwa Bibi and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Video Editing by Ahmed Ashour. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 

This conversation was recorded on February 24, 2026. You can watch it on YouTube, here.

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  

In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 

Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast

Relevant links and Resources: 

In an effort to preserve and document the work of 22 female artists from Gaza, a book titled Lilies of Gaza was created bringing together their paintings, voices, and stories. In this episode, we speak with the project’s curator, Inas Deeb, alongside artists Rana Batrawi and Mai Shaer, whose works have been featured in the collection. 

Together, they reflect on what it means to create art an under siege and bombardment, and how they managed to overcome cultural erasure in times of genocide. 

The book is published by Dar al-Kalima University Press- Rami Zahi Khouri Hub. It is compiled by Inas Deeb and Rana Batrawi, edited by Hidaya Shamun, reviewed by Ehab Bessaiso, designed by Sharif Sarhan, and translated by Wala’a Sabbah. Foreword written by Vera Tamari. 

This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Video Editing by Ahmed Ashour. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Special thanks to Power Group Studios- Beit Jala. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 

This conversation was recorded on January 17, 2026. You can watch it on YouTube, here. 

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  

In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 

Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast

--

Relevant links and Resources: 

Relevant Tarwida Episodes:

Join us as we welcome renowned chef Fadi Kattan to Tarwida, diving deep into his rich family heritage and unique culinary journey. Fadi shares fascinating stories of his upbringing, the profound influence of his Teta’s kitchen, and his commitment to celebrating Palestinian cuisine through his acclaimed restaurants and his book Bethlehem, which celebrates Palestinian flavors and highlights the importance of local artisans and producers. 

This episode is hosted by Afaf Shawwa Bibi. Tarwida’s lead producer is Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 

This conversation was recorded on March 19, 2025.

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture and heritage to the I forefront. We hear from artists including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  

In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 

Follow us on @tarwidapodcast

If you have been listening to the Tarwida Podcast, we want to know who you are, hear your thoughts and feedback. We welcome any suggestions for next guests or topics!  Help us understand you better by filling this short survey linked below, it won’t take more than 5 minutes. We promise you a coffee next time we see you. Thank you!

--

Relevant links and Resources: 

Follow Fadi Kattan (@fadi.f.kattan) on Instagram 

Order his book, Bethlehem (https://geni.us/bethlehem) 

Visit his restaurants! Akub in London (@akub.london) and Louf in Toronto (@louf.toronto)

If you find yourself in Bethlehem be sure to stay at his boutique hotel Kassa (@kassahotel)

Watch his YouTube series, Teta’s Kitchen

In this episode of Tarwida, we sit down with Palestinian comedian Alaa Abu Diab for a sharp, poignant, and darkly witty conversation. We talk stand-up comedy as a craft: how jokes are built, why cities develop different humors, and what it means to laugh from inside catastrophe- not as escape, but as confrontation.

Alaa also shares insights about his latest shows, including “Virtual Reality”, which is currently touring across Europe and the Arab region. He reflects on how live performance creates an intimate space for collective reflection and release.

-- 

This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 

This conversation was conducted in Arabic and recorded on November 30, 2025. You can watch it with English subtitles on YouTube through this link. 

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners, and more, about their very own Palestine.  

In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 

Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast

--

Relevant links and Resources: 

• Follow Alaa Abu Diab on Instagram (@alaabudiab)
• Book your tickets to Alaa’s upcoming shows
• Learn more about Ghassan Kanafani
• Follow Palestinian comedians:
• Ayman Nahhas 
• Hanna Shammas

Relevant Tarwida Episodes:

Listen to our episode with Maysoon Zayid 

When six-year-old Hind Rajab reached out to the Red Cross for help in January 2024, the ambulance car was 8 minutes away from her. She could have been saved, but instead, the Israeli army murdered her and two of the rescuers in cold blood. Her voice went on to haunt millions around the world, standing as a chilling testament to the brutality and impunity with which Israel continues to commit genocide.

In an attempt to document and remember Hind, Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania felt compelled to create The Voice of Hind Rajab; an Oscar short-listed film that documents the devastating story.

In our conversation, Ben Hania reflects on the ethical and artistic choices behind the film, the responsibilities filmmakers carry when the violence they address has not ended, and the role of cinema as an act of listening. 

This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 

This conversation was recorded on December 21, 2025. You can watch it on YouTube, here. 

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  

In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 

Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast

--

Relevant links and Resources: 

• Follow Kaouther Ben Hania on Instagram (@kaoutharbenhania)
• Read Forensic Architecture’s investigation on the killing of Hind Rajab. 
• Watch Al Jazeera’s documentary on the killing of Hind Rajab. 

Watch the trailers of Kaouther Ben Hania’s films:  

• The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025)
• Four Daughters (Banat Ulfa) (2023)
• The Man who Sold his Skin (2020)
• Beauty and the Dogs (2017)

During the 1990 Gulf War, Palestinian filmmaker, writer, and actress Cherien Dabis experienced racism for the first time while living in the United States. These experiences shaped her path toward filmmaking and commitment to Palestinian storytelling. 

In this episode, we hear more from her about her beginnings and delve into her latest Oscar short-listed feature film, All That’s Left of You, which traces a Palestinian family’s journey from the Nakba of 1948 to 2022, examining intergenerational trauma and life under occupation. Cherien explores

In addition to that, we spotlight her other notable works, including Amreeka, Ramy, and Mo, and discuss how comedy and TV have brought the Palestinian story to the American mainstream. 

This episode is hosted and produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 

This conversation was recorded on November 26, 2025. You can watch it on YouTube, here. 

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture, and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  

In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 

Follow us on socials @tarwidapodcast

--

Relevant links and Resources: 

• Follow Cherien Dabis on Instagram (@cheriendabis)
• Get tickets to see Cherien’s new film, All That’s Left of You
• Watch Cherien’s first feature film, Amreeka (2009)
• Watch Cherien’s second feature film, May in the Summer (2013)
• Watch Mo on Netflix 
• Learn more about Palestinian author Hala Alyan
• Learn more about up-and-coming director, Sarah Mokh
• Learn more about Suad Amiry and her novel, Sharon and My Mother-in-Law (2003)

​​In this episode of Tarwida, we take you on a virtual tour of SILA, a collaborative exhibition, that brings together artists and artisans to explore how Tatreez (Palestinian embroidery) has evolved from a traditional craft into a powerful language of identity and resistance.

Showing at Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah from September 2025 to January 2026, SILA presents contemporary interpretations of Tatreez across a wide range of mediums, including ceramics, pottery, fashion, design, installation, and even sound.

The founder of SILA, Rula Alami, joins us to discuss how the Inaash Association has worked for decades in Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon, preserving and evolving the heritage of Tatreez while creating sustainable livelihoods for women artisans.

The episode also features a conversation with SILA curators Cima Azzam and Noor Suhail, who share insights into the curatorial process. They reflect on the central role of women artisans in preserving collective memory, how Tatreez has transformed from village craft into a cultural language, and how the exhibition engages with themes of identity, memory, resistance, and continuity.

We close with interviews with three of the twenty-five participating artists — Zaid Farouki, Areen Hassan, and Samar Hejazi — who reflect on their individual works and creative approaches to Tatreez.

Whether you’re drawn to Palestinian culture, contemporary art, textile practices, or stories of resilience, this episode offers a rare, layered perspective on how creativity becomes a form of endurance.

Our guest host is Dana Alhanbali. The episode is produced by Tala Elissa. Our executive producer is Zina Jardaneh. Our associate producer is Zeena Shehadeh. Social media by Leen Karadsheh. Research and copywriting by Dima Sharif. Branding by Sara Sukhun. Theme music includes excerpts from Clarissa Bitar, The Popular Art Centre - مركز الفن الشعبي & Rim Banna. 

These conversations were recorded in November of 2025.

Tarwida is a series of conversations that bring Palestinian arts, culture and heritage to the forefront. We hear from artists, including writers, filmmakers, musicians, architects, culinary practitioners and more about their very own Palestine.  

In a nutshell, if you want to know more about (Creative) Palestine, this is the place to be. 

Follow us on @tarwidapodcast

--

Relevant links and Resources: 

• To learn more about SILA, visit their website here
• To learn more about The Inaash Association and their artisans, visit their website here
• Follow Rula Alami (@kiyanart) and visit her website here
• Learn more about Cima Azzam and the Maraya Art Center here
• Learn more about Noor Suhail and the 1971-Design Art Space here
• Follow Zaid Farouki (@zaidfarouki) and visit his website here
• Follow Samar Hejazi (@samarhejazi) and visit her website here
• Follow Areen Hassan (@by_areen) and visit her website here

See below to learn more about the mentioned artists and their work:

• Hazem Harb, Visual Artist 
• Ghassan Kanafani, Author 
• Huguette Caland, Artist and Founder of the Inaash Association 
• Liane Al Ghusain, Artist and Writer 
• Naima Almajdobah, Multidisciplinary Designer 
• Wafa Ghnaim, Historian and Author 
• Amer Shomali, Interdisciplinary Visual Artist 

Participating SILA artists:

Amer Shomali – Abdel Rahman Katanani – Areen Hassan – Aya Haidar – Bokja – Cristiana de Marchi – Dahouk Chamsi-Pasha – Farah Behbehani – Hazem Harb – Katya Traboulsi – Joanna Barakat – Leila Jabre Jureidini – Liane Al Ghusain – Maysaloun Faraj – Nada Debs – Naima Almajdobah – Naqsh Collective – Nour Hage – Omarvis – Sama Alshaibi – Samar Hejazi – Samia Halaby – Tala Hammoud Atrouni – Steve Sabella – Zaid Farouki