Author: Isabella Hammad
Publisher: Vintage
Paperback
One of our books of the year 2024!
Enya says: Enter Ghost is a deeply intelligent novel that follows 48 year old Sonia, an actress escaping an affair in London by visiting her homeland for the first time in 15 years. While in Haifa, she becomes involved in the performance of an Arabic version of Hamlet. The cast is diverse, varying from residents of a refugee camp to a pop star, highlighting the complex relationships amongst Palestine’s ‘48ers’ and how these differences are exploited by the Israeli army. Sonia navigates the struggle of making art, or doing anything, under occupation, her own personal ghosts and harrowing childhood memories growing up in Palestine. Hamlet is smartly woven throughout as the cast rehearse, offering a clear mirroring regarding the power of performance and art making in the face of the oppressor.