An engaging and thought-provoking work by a writer deeply rooted in the continuing travails of the society he grew up in.
Omar, a young Palestinian in Gaza’s largest refugee camp, spends his life searching for his long-vanished father, aided by his loyal friend, Ahmed. Omar soon finds himself precariously tangled in the many arms of Israel’s violent occupation of Gaza in the 1980s and 1990s, as swirling tides of resistance arise, clash, and threaten to engulf it.
Vanished, first published by Rimal Books in Cyprus in 2015, is a powerful first novel from the British Palestinian writer, playwright, and theater director Ahmed Masoud. It was shortlisted for the MEMO Palestine Book Awards in London in 2015, where the awards jury described it as “fast-paced and compelling.” It went on to win numerous plaudits from international media.
What People Are Saying
“[A]n accomplished novel that, quietly and without didacticism, gets to the heart of the terrible sacrifices demanded of a people living in a state of permanent, unrelenting siege.” The New Internationalist
“Vanished is a recommended read and Masoud’s is a sensitive and intelligent voice. It tells a story that could play out well on the screen.” Selma Dabbagh, the Electronic Intifada
“In this gripping coming-of-age novel, life for young Omar in Gaza’s Jabalia Camp is full of fear and danger as he pieces together the story of his father’s mysterious disappearance. While navigating the machinations of a brutal Israeli military occupation and growing up among resistance fighters as well as collaborators, Omar has to make impossible choices and learns painful lessons while the love and steadfastness of family, friends, and community sustain him. Mansour deftly illuminates the layers of political and social life in Gaza during the 1980s, 1990s, and through the first decade of the 2000s, highlighting Palestinians’ vulnerability and strength in the face of overwhelming oppression.” Zeina Azzam, poet, writer, activist
“There are many bittersweet references to the idea of loss and return; the lost country, the lost father. The resolution of those themes, when it comes, towards the end of the novel, is both startling and unexpected.” Rebecca Sowray, in Louder Than War
“Mixing a thriller story with the reality of life in the Palestinian occupied territories. Vanished is a novel which can be enjoyed by a wide public, not only by people interested in the Arab world.” Banipal
“Masoud is skillful at building up suspense; he drops no early hints of what happened to Omar’s father.” The Jordan Times
“It’s hard to imagine how the characters in this book, like the residents of Gaza themselves, manage to lead normal lives in a very abnormal, besieged society.” Times of Israel
About the Author
Ahmed Masoud is a writer, poet, and director who grew up in Gaza, Palestine and moved to the UK in 2002, and the author of the novels Vanished: The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda and Come What May. He has written and directed numerous theater and radio dramas and founded and ran the Al Zaytouna Dance Theatre (2005–13), for whom he wrote and directed many productions that toured in the UK and Europe. His latest artistic initiative is called PalArt Collective.