FikraMagazine

Saleem Haddad

Saleem Haddad was born in Kuwait City to an Iraqi-German mother and a Palestinian-Lebanese father. His first novel, Guapa, was published in 2016 and was awarded both a Stonewall Honour and the 2017 Polari Book Prize. He has also published a number of short stories, including for the Palestinian sci-fi anthology ‘Palestine +100’. He also writes for film and television; his directorial debut, Marco, premiered in March 2019 and was nominated for the 2019 Iris Prize for ‘Best British Short Film’. His work has been supported by institutions such as Yaddo and the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin. He is currently based in Lisbon, with roots in London, Amman, and Beirut.

Rola Azar

Rola Azar holds a mesmerizing modern serene voice that carries Palestinian tradition and blends it with modern grooves. Hailing from Nazareth, she’s honed her craft at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, gracing stages from Qatar Opera House to London’s City Theater. After dropping her debut album with Lebanese composer Ziad Sahab in Beirut, Rola is back in the studio crafting her next LP which, she promises, is deeply rooted in the Palestinian sonic heritage. Following in the footsteps of her father Milad Azar, Rola is committed to preserving traditional songs to fortify the Palestinian identity across the world.

Fuad Alyamani

Fuad Alyamani is a Palestinian visual artist residing in Prague, born in Ramallah. He graduated from Birzeit University- Palestine & Konstfack University – Sweden in contemporary visual arts. His work has been exhibited internationally in cities such as Cairo, Tangier, Berlin, Naples, Dubai, Prague, Washington, Bratislava, and Madrid, among others. Through these exhibitions, Alymani aims to strengthen his role as an artist committed to social and political issues, where his work serves as a platform for expression and commentary on contemporary political conditions, as well as an effort to raise awareness and create a positive impact.

Khalil Sima’an

Khalil Sima’an is a Palestinian academic and poet living in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He grew up in Haifa to a family of internally displaced refugees from villages in the Galilee, obliterated in 1948. His literary work is nominated for Best of The Net 2025, and appeared in various poetry journals including Muzzle Magazine, ANMLY Journal, Solstice Literary, Clarion Poetry, Rising Phoenix and Fikra Magazine, and in Arabic language literary magazine Al-Jadeed and daily Al-Ittihad. Khalil works as professor of computational linguistics at the Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam.

Aisja Hamed & Kevin Kruiter

Aisja Hamed and Kevin Kruiter are the co-founders of Fikra Magazine. They launched their first print edition and website in August 2023 from their home base, Ramallah. Since October 7, it has been impossible to continue their work from Palestine. Yet, this has not prevented them from publishing their second print and organizing this literary event to commemorate the ongoing genocide. You can find more information about Fikra and its team members at www.fikra-magazine.com.

Fikra is a Palestinian literary magazine founded in 2022. We publish essays, short stories, poetry, and visual art in both Arabic and English. Fikra Magazine is a platform for Palestinians and by Palestinians. We believe that great stories from the Palestinian community have the power to enrich our readers’ lives and bolster the modern Palestinian cultural heritage.

Rasha Hilwi

Rasha Hilwi is a Palestinian writer, journalist, editor, storyteller, cultural curator and a mother. She was born in Akka and based in Amsterdam. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology and works as a journalist and an editor at Raseef22 – an independent online media that delivers a dynamic array of news, stories and perspectives tailored for the Arab world with all its ethnic, religious and gender minorities and its diaspora. She writes proses, personal stories and blogs since a young age. With her writing and performances she focuses on the questions and stories surrounding “Home بيت” and “Ghorbah غربة” and their intersections with motherhood, personal narratives, memories, history and identities.

Maureen Ghazal

Maureen Ghazal is a poet, writer, and performer. She graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy in 2018, the same year she won the El Hizjra Literature Prize for her poetry. Her work has been published in De Gids, De Revisor, and Deus Ex Machina. She has performed at venues such as the Crossing Border Festival, Read My World, and the Night of Arabic Literature. In her work, she explores themes like the significance of (birth)land, embodying a physical form, and womanhood. Maureen is currently part of Wintertuin’s development program and is working on her chapbook.

Zahia Hamad

Zahia Hamad was born in Palestine, and in 2008, love brought her to the Netherlands. It was a significant transition, as the differences with her homeland are vast: the climate, the way people interact, the language. Her longing for home inspired her to cook dishes that reminded her of where she came from. In Palestinian culture, however, food is never eaten alone, so she started her own catering business. Through her company, Zahia’s, she shares her sense of home and the stories behind her recipes with as many people as possible.