On Wednesday 28th May 2025, from 7.30-9.30pm, Stroud Radical Reading Group will host a discussion of two books looking at Radicalism and Resistance in Palestine. We suggest people pick one or other of the books to read in full, or read excerpts from both – see below for links to buy the books at a discount from the local Yellow Lighted Bookshop and a variety of free text, audio, and visual resources relevant to the books.
- Popular Resistance in Palestine, A History of Hope and Empowerment, Mazin B. Qumsiyeh
- Interviews with Radical Palestinian Women, SHOAL Collective
We’re reading books about Palestine in May, because of the ongoing genocide, occupation and apartheid, but also specifically because May is the month in which Palestinians mark Nakba day – held annually on 15th May. The Nakba, which translates as ‘the catastrophe’, is the term Palestinians use to describe the ethnic cleansing and expulsion of most of the Indigenous people of Palestine through displacement and dispossession specifically of the 1948 Palestine War – and the ongoing suppression of their culture, identity, political rights, and national aspirations by Israel. This year will be the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, and various organisations are calling for action on/around the date, with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement calling for mass global mobilizations and civil disobedience on 15 May and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign organising a national demonstration in London on 17th May, for example.
Our session will take place after that date, but look at the context – a long history of various forms of resistance – and the calls to act ourselves, lessons, and inspiration we can take from these.
We will meet at Creative Sustainability’s shopfront space at 10 John St, GL5 2HA (a short distance from the town centre train or bus station, with parking available nearby at Church St).
Entry is free and everyone is welcome – you do not need to have attended previous sessions, and we do our best to make the sessions welcoming to people who have not been to reading groups or similar settings like university seminars before.
More information about the books, venue and how sessions work is below.
About the books:
Popular Resistance in Palestine, A History of Hope and Empowerment, Mazin B. Qumsiyeh: “Armed resistance, suicide bombings, and rocket attacks populate the Western media’s depiction of Palestinian resistance. Synthesising data from hundreds of original sources, Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh provides the most comprehensive study of the always creative, often peaceful, civil resistance in Palestine. Successes, failures, missed opportunities and challenges are chronicled through hundreds of stories from over 100 years of Palestinian resistance.”
“The book critically and comparatively surveys uprisings under Ottoman rule, against the Balfour Declaration and the Oslo Accords, all the way up to the Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions movement. The compelling human stories told in this book will inspire people of all faiths and political backgrounds to chart a better and more informed direction for a future of peace with justice.”
Professor Qumsiyeh is founder and director of the Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH) and the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) at Bethlehem University where he teaches.
Interviews with Radical Palestinian Women: the interviews compiled by Shoal Collective cover “their struggles on all fronts – against colonialism, white supremacy, conservatism, patriarchy, state control – and occupation.”
“The idea for this book came out of a concern that solidarity movements have a tendency only to engage with Palestinians about their fight against the Israeli occupation. Sometimes this can be a barrier to seeing them as comrades in our intersecting struggles.”
“10 radical Palestinian women spoke to the authors between 2018-2021. Listening to their voices will help people outside of Palestine better understand them as allies in our global struggles for freedom.”
Shoal is a radical research and writers’ collective which produces news articles, investigative research, opinion, analysis and theoretical writing in support of social movements that aim to bring about social change.
Buy the books
When looking at your “basket” enter the “couponcode” 25stroudradical for a 15% discount. Pick up book from Nailsworth, Tetbury or Chalford shops, or get books delivered to your door for £3.50 postage. If posting books, you may wish to buy other books we are reading this year
- Buy Popular Resistance in Palestine, A History of Hope and Empowerment, by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh – RRP £26.99, £22.94 with discount (saving £4.05)
- Buy Interviews with Radical Palestinian Women, SHOAL Collective – RRP £9.99 – £8.49 with discount (saving £1.50).
Free Resources
- Free pdf version of Interviews with Radical Palestinian women available from the SHOAL collective (2.89MB)
- Mazin Qumsiyeh’s website, including a page on Popular Resistance in Palestine with a chapter outline
- 1 hour interview with Professor Qumsiyeh about human rights, ethnic conflict, and the Israeli-Palestinian struggle from 2017, in an episode of KOOP Radio’s People United.
- 30 minute recording of a talk delivered by Professor Qumsiyeh at the University of Connecticut in 2011 (internet archive)
- 25 minute talk by Professor Qumsiyeh speaking on December 9th 2024, “Decolonizing Palestine and the Middle East” (full video of event includes warm up speakers. Professor Qumsiyeh’s is from 17:16 – 43:44, followed by Q&A till the end, 90 minute video in total)
- Automated reading of Interview with Radical Palestinian Women – 4 hours (embedded below)
About our events and the venue
Stroud Radical Reading Group events are free to attend, though we will make a collection to cover venue hire costs – please bring some cash.
We try to create a comfortable discussion space for everyone, including people who have not been part of a reading group or been to university. We do not want the sessions to feel like school – the idea is that everyone has something to contribute, even if primarily through finding the discussion texts difficult and having questions with other attendees can attempt to answer.
To ensure marginalised people feel welcome, we encourage care and thoughtful contributions that respect people’s identities and lives. We are an LGBTQ+ inclusive and anti-racist space.
Anyone is welcome to listen to the discussion, though we encourage contributions only from those who have read at least some of the book we are discussing.
There is an opportunity for more informal discussion after the session in the Ale House pub for anyone who wants to continue their evening.
About the venue
We will meet at the Creative Sustainability shopfront space at 10 John St, GL5 2HA (round the corner from Iceland and next to the Ale House pub). This is close to the train station and not far from the bus station. There are stands to lock bikes to outside, and parking for cars nearby at Church St car park. There are no toilets at the venue. There is a small step to access the building, which is then step free). The room is well lit. Please get in touch if you’d like to get more of an idea of what the sessions are like or if you have any accessibility needs.
Stroud Radical Reading Group 