We Are Not Numbers: The Voices of Gaza’s Youth - Ahmed Alnaouq, Pam Bailey

A teenage girl stares at her roof, hoping it won’t collapse over her head. A young student searches the Internet for photos of libraries around the world, hoping he’ll be able to visit them one day. Another walks around the city, taking notes of all the buildings she dreams of repairing.

These are the stories of young people from Gaza, born under Israeli occupation and blockade. They are people who have endured unspeakable struggles and losses, who keep fighting to be recognised not as numbers, but as human beings with hopes, dreams and lives worth living.

We Are Not Numbers was founded in 2014 to give voice to the youth of Gaza. In this collection, vital, urgent and full of heart, spanning over ten years to the present moment, we gain an unparalleled insight into the past, as well as the current and next generation of Palestinian leaders, artists, scientists and scholars and imagine where we might go from here.

Praise for We Are Not Numbers

"Picking up this book may seem hard because of the subject matter; putting it down is even harder. The voices of Gaza’s young writers are so moving and varied and astonishing. You’ll carry We Are Not Numbers in your heart for a very long time"
Kamila Shamsie

"We Are Not Numbers is not just a book—it’s my life, their life, and our shared story. I know some of these brave writers; I’ve walked the same streets, felt the same fear, and shared the same dreams under Gaza’s skies. These pages carry the truth of our struggle and the beauty of our humanity. This is Gaza as it truly is, written by those who live it every day"
Motaz Azaiza, award-winning Palestinian photojournalist

"With lovingly crafted words and stories, the authors in We Are Not Numbers open portals in Israel’s apartheid wall, inviting readers into the impossible realities of life under siege in Gaza. The collective commitment to doing whatever it takes to produce this extraordinary symphony of testimony is evident on every page. This book is a jailbreak - and a miracle."
Naomi Klein

"I felt not only deeply moved by this book but transformed. Its importance cannot be understated and I know I will press it upon everyone I meet"
Daisy Johnson

"As a genocide unfolds right before us, this book will stand as a testimony to this shocking and inhuman moment in history."
Neel Mukherjee

"[An] important and timely collection ... The voices of Gaza's youth have been palpably missing in the ongoing war. They have been reduced to grim statistics by a media overwhelmed by the brutality of the ongoing genocide ... This book is the ultimate corrective ... Through their eyes we witness the richness and warmth of their culture, and the undeniable human impact of the war ... The stories on these pages bear testimony to the resilient spirits that are Gaza's youth and ultimately give hope for its future ... Gaza's youth has spoken through this heart-rending and often beautiful collection. The least we can do is listen to them."
Middle East Eye

"A rebellion against the singular story. An insightful, multifaceted glimpse into the besieged Gaza Strip, where millions of people continue to confront a genocide waged by an Israeli regime"
Mohammed el-Kurd


Hutchinson Heinemann, 2025
English
Hardcover, 368 pages
146mm x 224mm