'Aid ila Hayfā (عَائِد إلى حَيْفَا)

Published in 1969, this novella is a deeply emotional and political exploration of the Palestinian displacement (Nakba) and the complex nature of identity.

The story follows a Palestinian couple, Said and Safiyya, who return to their home in Haifa after the 1967 war—the first time they’ve been able to see it since they were forced to flee in 1948. They discover that the infant son they were forced to leave behind in the chaos has been raised as a Jewish Israeli named Dov.

Author: Ghassan Kanafani (غَسَّان كَنَفَانِي)

He was a visionary writer, journalist, and activist, and a leading member of the PFLP. He used his writing to articulate the Palestinian cause to the world. He is credited with pioneering "Resistance Literature." His work is known for its intense brevity and powerful symbolism. Kanafani was assassinated in Beirut in 1972 at the age of 36. Despite his short life, his influence on Arabic literature remains monumental.