Acclaimed Palestinian author Raja Shehadeh discusses his new book on the personal impact of Occupation in conversation with Gillian Slovo. From the occupation of his own childhood home to friendships formed with Israelis as a young man, he reflects on the past and on prospects for forging a common future.

Raja Shehadeh is Palestine’s leading writer. He is also a lawyer and the founder of the pioneering Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq. Shehadeh is the author of several acclaimed books including Strangers in the House, Occupation Diaries and Language of War, Language of Peace and winner of the 2008 Orwell Prize for Palestinian Walks (all Profile). He lives in Ramallah in Palestine.

South African born Gillian Slovo is the author of thirteen novels and a family memoir. Her novel Red Dust won the RFI Temoin du Monde prize and was made into a feature film. She is co-writer of the verbatim play Guantanamo and author of the play The Riots. Her most recent verbatim play, Another World: How we are losing our Children to Islamic State was put on at the National Theatre in April 2016. Her latest novel Ten Days was published by Canongate in March 2016. She is currently working on a new verbatim play for the Young Vic.