Recognising the stranger

Award-winning author of 'The Parisian' and 'Enter Ghost' Isabella Hammad delivered the Edward W. Said Lecture at Columbia University nine days before 7 October 2023. The text of Hammad's seminal speech and her afterword written in the early weeks of 2024 together make up a searing appraisal of the war on Palestine during what feels like a turning point in the narrative of human history. Moving and erudite, Hammad writes from within the moment, giving voice to the Palestinian struggle for freedom.