We Are Not Numbers

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.

Review

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

Wondrous, devastating and vibrant beyond measure. These essays, piercing and searching, striking and warm, grapple with the question of how to make a life. An achievement and a marvel, an absolute shooting star -- Bryan Washington

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

A brilliant collection of voices that lays bare the struggles and suffering of ordinary young Palestinians. More importantly, it illuminates their humanity and dignity, and the hopes and dreams that persist even in the face of death and destruction -- Monica Ali

Impossible to put down or forget - a testament to the unimaginable strength of the people of Gaza -- Riz Ahmed

Powerful, humane and heroic . . . the voices of Palestinians soar. This is the most important collection of writing published today. It’s a book the world must know -- Jenni Fagan

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

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

They are the hopes of a cruel world, the humanity of an inhumane era, the resolve in a time of evil. Their voices will bellow through the ages -- Owen Jones

A vital book. The emergence of these voices is politically and ethically urgent, of course, but it is also a profoundly important literary event -- China Mieville

A testament to the dignity, courage and beauty of Gaza and her people - these voices and stories could not be more urgent -- Fatima Bhutto

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

About the Author

Ahmed Alnaouq (Author)
Ahmed Alnaouq is a Palestinian journalist and human rights activist based in London. He is the co-founder and director of We Are Not Numbers and a journalist with Palestine Deep Dive. Ahmed holds a degree in English Literature from Al-Azhar university in Gaza, and an MA in International Journalism from Leeds University, where he was a Chevening Scholar.

Pam Bailey is a social-justice activist and journalist based in Washington DC. She lived and worked in the Gaza Strip following the 2008/9 Israeli assault, and co-founded We Are Not Numbers. Today, in addition to her ongoing dedication to the Palestinian cause, she dedicates herself to two nonprofits that advocate for people detained in American prisons -- including one she co-founded in 2020, called More Than Our Crimes.