Marwa Abu Raida is a Palestinian writer and poet from Gaza. Her work addresses themes such as displacement, resistance, and the possibility of reconciliation.
She is the author of the novel Friends of Fearness – Galil and Ozile, which explores a friendship between a Palestinian and an Israeli and has led to persecution by Hamas sympathisers. She faced severe threats and violence due to her novel. Fearing for her safety, Marwa fled from Gaza to Egypt in May. Now, we are happy to announce that she is our new NoCallarem AR-Barcelona resident and is safe in Barcelona!
During her residency, she is continuing her literary practice, blending philosophy, psychology, and poetry. Her stories move between the inner world and the collective condition, creating texts that are both intellectually profound and emotionally resonant. Her work invites reflection on the hidden scars of occupation, fear, and displacement. While some publishers have shown interest in her work, others have pulled out due to political pressure.
Among her achievements are the play Philosopher and the Wanderer, finalist for the Alaa Al-Jaber Playwriting Award 2025, the story The Girl Who Cried the Moon, winner of a national children’s literature contest, and the essay The Nature of Consciousness and the Exercise of Free Will, shortlisted for the Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction, ranking among the top 5% of over 1,000 entries.
Against the backdrop of the genocide and the suffering of the civilian population of her country, in her novel, Friends of Fearness, Marwa explores how fear shapes personal identity, political resistance, and human connections. The project presents a psychological-political novel set between Jerusalem and the U.S., tracing the intertwined lives of three friends—Jalil, Ozil, and Justin—as they navigate exile, memory, and trauma. Her work blends psychological depth with socio-political realities, focusing on themes of identity, exile, and resistance. Friends of Fearness received an Honorary Mention at Ars Electronica 2025 State of the ART(ist) Awards. Marwa was a finalist in the European novel competition for her novel.
For her story “The Red Mountain of Rodofel”, Marwa has been nominated as a Finalist in the Lucky Jefferson 2025 Poetry & Prose Contest and a Finalist in the Fiction category for Black Warrior Review 2025 and longlisted for the Ink of Ages Fiction Prize – Adult Category. Her piece “Rubik’s Cube and the Taste of Guilt” was also longlisted for the Fractured Lit 2025 Elsewhere Prize.
Marwa’s latest research paper, “The Compressive Light: A Unified Theory of Existential Cosmic Tension” (2025).
Marwa and AR:
- Palestinian writer Marwa Abu Raida and co-directors Ivor Stodolsky and Marita Muukkonen at Nodes Barcelona
- AR-Barcelona resident Marwa Abu Raida and co-directors Marita Muukkonen and Ivor Stodolsky at Nodes Barcelona panel at MONDIACULT 2025 today
- Marita Muukkonen and Ivor Stodolsky, Artists at Risk (AR)’s Co-Directors, at Ars Electronica Festival 2025
- Artists at Risk (AR) at the Ars Electronica Festival
