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Mosab Abu Toha

モサブ・アブ・トーハ

Mosab Abu Toha

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1992-11-17 （Al-Shati refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Palestine）
Nationality
Palestinian
Languages
Arabic, English
Residence History
Al-Shati refugee camp (Gaza) → Beit Lahia (Gaza) → Jabalia refugee camp (Gaza) → Syracuse, New York (United States)

Career

Occupations
Poet, Writer, Scholar, Librarian, Teacher
Active Years
2016-
Affiliations
Edward Said Library (founder), Harvard University (visiting scholar / Scholars at Risk fellow), Houghton Library (librarian), Syracuse University (visiting faculty)
Influenced By
Refaat Alareer (friend and fellow poet), Edward Said (intellectual influence), John Donne (poetic influence), William Shakespeare (love of sonnets)

Education

Islamic University of Gaza
Department of English
Degree: 学士
Country: Palestine
Graduated in English
Syracuse University
College of Arts and Sciences / Creative Writing
Degree: MFA（Master of Fine Arts）
Period: 2021–2023
Year of Graduation: 2023
Country: United States
MFA in Creative Writing

Awards

Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
2025
Work: Essays on the Gaza war published in The New Yorker
Organization: Pulitzer Prize Board
Result: 受賞
Palestine Book Award
2022
Work: Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear
Organization: Palestine Book Awards
Result: 受賞
American Book Award
2022
Work: Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear
Organization: Before Columbus Foundation
Result: 受賞
Freedom of Expression Award
2025
Organization: Norwegian Authors' Union
Result: 受賞
Overseas Press Club Award
2025
Work: New Yorker series
Organization: Overseas Press Club
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza

2022 Poetry

A lyrical, testimonial collection contrasting scenes of political violence in Gaza with natural beauty and intimate images drawn from the author's experiences.

War and violenceMemory and lossEveryday particularsBooks and libraries

Forest of Noise

2024 Poetry / Prose poetry

Published in 2024, this collection continues to explore loss, memory, and landscape in Gaza, examining personal and collective trauma.

TraumaLandscape and sense of placePersonal testimony

Bibliography

  • Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza. City Lights Publishers. 2022. ISBN 9780872868601
  • Forest of Noise. Knopf. 2024. ISBN 9780593803974

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lyrical and testimonial styleFocus on concrete, evocative imageryFragmentary, intermittent monologue-like techniques
Recurring Motifs
Destroyed urban landscapesBooks and librariesMemories connected to food and landFamily and loss

Legacy

As a poet and writer from Gaza, he has received international recognition for testimonial work that ties war to everyday life. Founder of the Edward Said Library, he has contributed to cultural infrastructure in Gaza. His 2025 Pulitzer win made him a prominent voice conveying Palestinian experience to global readers, while some of his social-media statements have been controversial.

Quotes

  • It is my biggest hope that this achievement and recognition will be a step toward greater understanding of the decades-long plight of the Palestinian people and that it will inspire people, especially those in power, to act and put an end to this tragedy.
    Source: Acceptance comment (upon receiving the Pulitzer Prize) (2025)

Trivia

  • Founded the Edward Said Library, an English-language public library in Gaza (Beit Lahia).
  • Was detained by Israeli forces in November 2023 and later released; reported injuries from detention.
  • Won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for essays about Gaza in The New Yorker.
  • Some social-media posts prompted controversy after the Pulitzer win.
  • Refaat Alareer was a close friend; Alareer was killed in an airstrike in 2023.