Welcome to the 58th issue of The Funambulist, dedicated to Palestinian Return/Awda/العودة. In its original intentions, as defined in the beginning of 2024, this issue was thought to be published long after a ceasefire in Palestine would have been reached. Anticipating a significant decrease in global mobilization for the Palestinian struggle, this issue was meant to contribute to an effort of re-intensifying of this mobilization. In the end, the genocidal siege on Gaza and its echoes in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria have lasted much longer than any of us could have imagined and this issue was produced in a context of duress and despair for many of its contributors. In our context, this issue attempts to re-open our imaginaries of liberation of Palestine, through essays (Sophia Azeb, Mahar Musleh, Areej Ashhab, Sahar Qawasmi), artworks (Vladimir Tamari, Taysir Batniji, Dima Srouji, Firas Shehadeh, Reema Nubani, Zain Al Sharaf Wahbeh), poems (Nour Alasy, Batool Abu Akleen, Haidar Al Ghazali, Asmaa Azaizeh, Mariam Tamari), and fiction (Leila Abdelrazaq, Mohamed Al-Zaqzooq, Taghrid Abdelal, Rana Issa, Karim Kattan). Some of these contributions were written in Arabic and are published in this issue alongside their translation (by Yasmine Haj). The cover artwork is from Just in Case #2 by Taysir Batniji, which can be found in the pages of the issue. The curation of the artworks for this issue was done in collaboration with Asma Barchiche and Mina Squalli-Houssaïni. These works are currently exhibited at FORDE, Geneva in the exhibition d’abord les fraises, puis les fleurs (February 1–March 8, 2025).
You can read Léopold Lambert’s full introduction here.
In the News from the Fronts section, you can read an analysis of the current political situation in Cuba (Lisbeth Moya González) and a reflection on the co-optation of “our” language by institutions in Britain (Akil and Seth Scafe-Smith).
You can also order the francophone version and the hispanophone version.
Editor-in-Chief: Léopold Lambert
Head of Communications: Shivangi Mariam Raj
Hispanophone Communication Manager: Sofía Kourí
Office Manager : Assia Tamerdjent
Translators: Yasmine Haj (en), Zainab Al Qaisi (en), Virginie Bobin (fr), Rosanna Puyol Boralevi (fr), Amina Belghiti (fr), Valentina Sarmiento Cruz (es), Felipe Guerra Arjona (es), and María Vignau Loría (es)
Graphic Design: Adapted from a model designed by Akakir Studio
Contributing Copy Editor: Carol Que
