Books · Journal · Palestinian culture · Poetry ·Oct 15, 2026

5 Palestinian Poets to Read After Mahmoud Darwish

If you have read Mahmoud Darwish, you already know how much Palestinian poetry can hold in a few lines. The good news is that there is much more to discover, and a lot of it is easy to find in American bookstores and libraries. Here are five poets to read next.

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Fadwa Tuqan

Fadwa Tuqan was born in Nablus in 1917 and taught herself to write poetry at a time when few women in her world were allowed to. After 1967 her poems turned to the occupation, and she became one of the defining voices of her generation. Her memoir A Mountainous Journey is available in English.

Samih al-Qasim

Samih al-Qasim grew up in Galilee and wrote poems of defiance that people still recite at rallies and readings. His work is direct and emotional, and it is a good counterpoint to Darwish, who was his close friend.

Naomi Shihab Nye

Born in St. Louis in 1952 to a Palestinian father, Naomi Shihab Nye is one of the best-loved poets in the US. Her collections, including 19 Varieties of Gazelle, write about family, food and everyday life in Palestine with great tenderness. She is often the first Palestinian American voice students meet in school.

Refaat Alareer and Mosab Abu Toha

Refaat Alareer taught English literature in Gaza and urged his students to write their own stories. He was killed in Gaza in December 2023, and his poem If I Must Die has since been read at vigils across the country. Mosab Abu Toha won an American Book Award for Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear and, in 2025, the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for his essays on Gaza.

Poetry often ends up on posters, signs and shirts. Our Exist. Resist. Return. and Palestine Hope designs carry that same idea: a short line that says a lot.

FAQ

Who are the best Palestinian poets to read?

Beyond Mahmoud Darwish, readers often turn to Fadwa Tuqan, Samih al-Qasim, Naomi Shihab Nye, Refaat Alareer and Mosab Abu Toha.

Is Naomi Shihab Nye Palestinian?

Naomi Shihab Nye is a Palestinian American poet. She was born in St. Louis to a Palestinian father and an American mother.

What did Mosab Abu Toha win?

Mosab Abu Toha won an American Book Award for Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear and the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.

What is the poem If I Must Die about?

Written by Refaat Alareer, If I Must Die asks that his death should bring hope and be told as a story. It became widely shared after he was killed in December 2023.