Haya Abu Shammala

Haya, 20, is an English literature student at the Islamic University of Gaza, and plans to earn a PhD in translation. When she was young, Haya used to read every piece of writing she came cross. Along the way, she started to believe that writing is the best way to express herself. Writing helps he "dive deep down into myself and find my hidden feelings and thoughts." Haya believes strongly that she has to do something to help the Palestinian people. "I hate the fact that people in other countries only know about us when there is a war, for instance. We suffer, yes, but we also hope. We dream. We have natural interests, difficulties and experiences. My favorite novelist of all time, Radwa Ashour, wrote once, “There is always a chance to avoid defeat since we have decided to die while trying to live."