‘War lives in me’: Gaza playwright Ali Abu Yasin wins English PEN award
Gaza-based playwright Ali Abu Yasin has been awarded the 'Writer of Courage 2026' prize by English PEN for his artistic work during the ongoing conflict. Despite displacement and personal loss, he continues to create art and support fellow artists in Gaza.
Why it matters
The award highlights the role of art as a form of resistance and resilience in the face of humanitarian crises.
Ali Abu Yasin, honoured for his artistic resilience, has endured Israeli bombardment, displacement and personal loss over the past three years.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Gaza playwright Ali Abu Yasin, 62, has suffered the horrors of Israel's genocidal campaign but found comfort in creating art, even as the bombs fell around him [Laura O'Connor/Al Jazeera] By Laura O'Connor Published On 8 Oct 2026 8 Oct 2026 London, United Kingdom – Ali Abu Yassin, a playwright from Gaza who continued writing even as Israel’s genocidal campaign devastated the world around him, has won a prestigious award in London.
“This prize is great not only for me, but for Gaza, Palestine, and all the Palestinian people,” Ali Abu Yasin, who was named on Thursday as “Writer of Courage 2026” by the literary group English PEN, told Al Jazeera.
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