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Sheikha Hlewa

Palestinian writer Sheikha Hlewa was born in Dhayl ’Araj, an unrecognized Bedouin village near Haifa. She is the author of three collections of short stories and one collection of poems, which have been translated into many languages. She is a lecturer in Arab feminism at Ben-Gurion University.

Exam

My mother’s lessons are too late.After all we’ve lived through—the years she countsin precise concurrence with the Nakbaand the ones I count while I bite my tongue—she insists on lecturing me, word by word, all at once.She shows no consideration for my chronic ...

Memory

All is disordered in my usurped Bedouin memory.The young man who was electrocuted as he watered his fieldwas a potential groom for several little girls.His pores were potential lanterns in the dark after that charge of light.In all possibilities, memory betrays me.Was he a ...

Nakba

My mother is three years younger than Nakba.But she doesn’t believe in great powers.Twice a day she brings God down from his thronethen reconciles with himthrough the mediation of the bestrecorded Quranic recitations.And she can’t bear meek women.She never once mentioned ...