GAZA CITY AND KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Novelist Hani al-Salmi, 36, dreams of the day when he can stop selling perfume in a shop in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip and devote himself to his novels. So far, he has written eight novels and published six of them.

A few days ago, Salmi, who makes less than 600 shekels a month (about $155) selling perfume, printed his sixth novel, “Haza al-Rasas Ahibbouhou,” or “Those Bullets, I Love.” Abdel Mohsin al-Qattan Foundation in Gaza, which specializes in educational and cultural services, published the novel and covered all costs. Salmi won the Qattan Foundation's prize for best novel in 2012.

Salmi told Al-Monitor that the literary scene in the Gaza Strip is almost extinct. The government and its ministries neglect the publishing industry, said Salmi, despite the existence of novelists with world-class ideas, prompting most novelists to write poetry because it is easier and faster to deliver to the public. Most writers, Salmi said, have stopped writing short stories because of the efforts involved.

“Some factors have played an important role in this significant decline, as no one specializes in printing novels, and the partisan and literary division significantly affects printing activity because every political party cares only about its popular base," said Salmi. "In addition, the poor economy is making most writers unable to afford the printing costs. Also, some nongovernmental institutions monopolize printing and have the ability to decide which novels get published.”