Gaza-born author and playwright Ahmed Masoud is best known for his debut novel, Vanished, which garnered critical acclaim for its riveting portrayal of life under Israeli occupation. He has written a detective story set in Gaza called Come What May and a black comedy, The Shroud Maker, told through the eyes of an 80-year-old seamstress, whose business making burial cloths in Gaza is always booming.
During Israel’s siege of Gaza, Ahmed Masoud’s family and siblings were trapped in Jabalia refugee camp. On January 22, 2023, Ahmed’s brother was killed by Israeli forces.
In the fourth episode of Reframe, Fatima Bhutto interviews Masoud on the power of literature in keeping alive one’s memories of home and how writing poetry has helped him cope with his brother’s death as well as the ongoing destruction of Gaza.