Ibrahim Matar
Doctor and writer
On Trace of The Tide, he says: “Along Trace of The Tide stood a tree of extraordinary beauty, rare in both its form and its very existence. In its presence, the fragrant green leaves mingled with the fresh blue of the sea. It stood upon a sandy hill overlooking the dreams of the city’s young people, while radiant grains of yellow sea sand entered the picture, together with air infused with salty spray and a light, pure breeze—as though it were a piece of paradise in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The tree was blown apart. The young people were scattered—perhaps they died—and the dreams dispersed into the air.
A Palestinian doctor and writer from Gaza City, working in cardiology and intensive care. His writing intersects closely with his medical experience. Since the first days of the war, he remained at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, working in the intensive care unit amid the overwhelming influx of casualties and severe shortages of beds, medicines, equipment, and medical staff. He documented the experiences of the wounded, children, mothers, and healthcare workers, and how people he encountered in the hospital became victims of the genocide. His texts focus on the human being in moments of fear and loss, and on the everyday details of life in Gaza and its people’s longing for home, the city, the sea, and ordinary life. He loves the city and dreams of peace.