Compiling and summarizing more than 60 years of Palestinian literature according to a specialized method have become a matter of great necessity and increasingly growing demand for scholars and those interested in this field. Therefore, the Academy of Al-Qasimi College proposes the idea of an Encyclopedia of Palestinian Literature. The encyclopedia will be a comprehensive collection of all aspects related to Palestinian literature since the Nakba (i.e., Palestinian Catastrophy), thus meeting the needs of both research and recent developments.
Contributors:
The project is collective, including the participation of a large number of researchers and experts in Palestinian literature from the areas of 48, the West Bank and Gaza, and Diaspora. Tasks will be divided among the participants according to clear guidelines created by a special committee to be set up by the Academy.
Project Execution:
Due to the enormity of the project, it will be carried out in stages. In each stage a portion of the project will be produced in the form of a book, which will be posted on the website of the Academy for the service of researchers. The project timeline is according to the following stages:
- 1st. year: Local poetry
- 2nd. year: Local prose (the story, the novel, the play, and local criticism)
- 3rd. year: Palestinian literature in the West Bank, Gaza and Diaspora.
- 4th. year: General Palestinian culture
Project Requirements:
There is no doubt that the execution of such a project entails efforts and funding. At some point, the Academy should pay the contributors. In addition, there are extra expenses for travels to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Egypt, where coordinating meetings will be held with contributors who live there and therefore are unable to enter the 48 area in the so-called Green Line. Additional miscellaneous charges will apply too.
The Supervising Committee:
The project proposal will be submitted to the “Committee of Literature and Criticism” of the Academy for review and discussion. Following the recommendation of the committee, the project will be carried out according to a clear plan of action and a timeline. After the initial approval of the proposal, the committee will outline a detailed budget for the different stages of the project.