Hind JOUDAH

What does it mean to be a poet in times of war ?

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Bilingual performance

with voice by Hind Jouda (Arabic) 

and French translation performed by poets Mouna Ouafik and Soukaina Habiballah
Soundscape: Zouheir Atbane
 

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What does it mean to be a poet in times of war ? is an oratorio of voices that echoes the poems written and published by Hind Joudah on her Facebook page since October 7, 2023. These poems pose the question of poetry's usefulness to the chorus of tragedy, as posed by her iconic poem of the same title.
But for several wars already in Ghazza, Hind is a response in action to: how can one be a poet in times of war? Through poetic writing and intense cultural activism.

Written in recent months in Gaza, where she was born and lives, Hind Jouda's poems bear almost direct witness to the infernal deluge of fire under which the people of Gaza have been living and dying since October 7. 

The poet's and woman's constant gentleness offers a striking contrast to the permanent terror and renewed affliction of recent weeks. 

Unable to leave Gaza, only Hind Jouda's voice will be present on stage in recordings of her poems, relayed in French by Moroccan poets Habiballah and Ouafik.


Hind Joudah  was born in 1983 in al-Bureij refugee camp in Gaza. She writes poetry and short stories, is published on various websites, and has participated in several cultural events. The Palestinian poet has written scripts for several documentaries and done voice overs. She has also worked in radio production, and with Workers Radio in Gaza. She produced and presented a show called Good Morning, Homeland for Radio Al-Hurriya in Gaza. She won the Appreciation Prize by the Youth Ideas Association for her short story, and the Golden Prize at the Arab Youth Gathering Festival in Cairo in 2006. Her first collection of poetry, entitled Nobody Always Leaves was published by Mosaique House in Amman in 2013. She is the editor-in-chief of Magazine 28 in Gaza. She found refuge in Saudi Arabia.

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