“I once wrote that the first week in Jerusalem was the hardest week of my life. I was different, other; my clothes were different, as was my language. All of the classes were in Hebrew - science, bible, literature. I sat there not understanding one word. When I tried to speak, everyone would laugh at me.”

Palestinian Israeli author and journalist

Sayed Kashua is a Palestinian citizen of Israel and an author and journalist born in Tira, Israel. He is known for his books and for his humorous columns in Hebrew and English. Kashua writes across fiction and journalism, and his work has been noted for moving between languages and audiences. His columns, in particular, are associated with wit and social observation, reflecting the bilingual setting in which he writes.