The Shadow: Poems for the Children of Gaza

Ahmed Miqdad and John Portelli explore the intricate themes of death, memory, and hope by connecting personal and political losses in Gaza, Palestine, and Malta. In this collection, they confront death as a persistent element-whether through the immediate threat of genocidal violence in Gaza or the slow decline from cancer-and acknowledge each other's pain and vulnerability. This mutual recognition shifts their dialogue from a personal battle with mortality to a collective existential experience, linking individual mortality with shared suffering and understanding. The book is illustrated with art created by Malak Mattar.