GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — “A Suspended Life,” a novel by Gazan writer Atef Abu Saif, has made it to the finals for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. The news was announced during the Casablanca International Publishing and Book Fair on Feb. 13.
Despite the prominence of the cultural and literary products of the Gaza Strip, the security apparatus in Gaza does not seem to appreciate this richness. The Hamas-affiliated security services stopped Abu Saif at the Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing Feb. 4, preventing him from making it to the book fair in Morocco.