‘War lives in me’: Gaza playwright Ali Abu Yasin wins English PEN award

What the report says

Gaza playwright Ali Abu Yasin has been named English PEN’s 2026 Writer of Courage, an award announced in London and tied to the organization’s PEN Pinter Prize. Al Jazeera reports that the 62-year-old writer was recognized for continuing to create theatre-related work despite the destruction and displacement caused by Israel’s war on Gaza.

Abu Yasin told Al Jazeera that the honor mattered not only to him, but also to Gaza, Palestine and the wider Palestinian public. He said he began writing and learning the oud as a teenager in Gaza’s al-Shati refugee camp, and over time became known for plays and other work that document Palestinian life. After the war began in October 2023, he said he shifted from writing stage plays to recording daily survival under bombardment, while also trying to protect his family and preserve his writing.

The article says Abu Yasin worked with actors in improvised tents and that theatre spaces in Gaza were severely affected by the fighting. It also notes his involvement with the Said Al-Mishal Theatre in Gaza City and his 2008 project, the Gaza Monologues, which portrayed both hardship and moments of joy in the enclave.

English PEN said the prize is meant to honor authors who defend freedom of expression, often at personal risk. Al Jazeera reports that Abu Yasin recently left Gaza through a French artist-residency program, allowing him to attend the London ceremony. The award highlights both the cultural loss in Gaza and the role of artists in documenting conflict and preserving memory.