2024: Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear

From March through May of 2024, communities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom came together to read the poetry collection Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza by Gazan poet and librarian Mosab Abu Toha as part of the “One Book, Many Communities” campaign. Below are images from only some of the events that took place around the world to explore the themes of the collection, Palestinian poetry, and the struggle for self-determination as the genocide continues.

The cover of Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear by Mosab Abu Toha. The cover image shows a hole in a wall, though which greenery and buildings are visible.

Mosab Abu Toha joining Libraries and Archivists with Palestine via Zoom on April 16 was a highlight of the campaign. Audience members had the opportunity to hear him read his poems live and ask questions. Watch a recording of the event here.

Author Mosab Abu Toha holds a copy of his book "Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear." Mosab is facing the camera. He has short brown hair and a beard. — Mosab Abu Toha speaking to the Zoom audience on April 16, 2024.

The 2024 One Book campaign began in March at the Islamic Studies Library, McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The camera looks down through a circular atrium in a library. People are seated around a circle table and more people sit in an outer circle. — Nearly 70 people gathered throughout the night for a Poetry Night for Palestine, which included poems from *Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear*.

Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza was originally written in English. LAP solicited translations of the title poem “Things You May Find Hidden In My Ear.” Special thanks to LAP Member Wun; and the organizers of Collective Translation at LaGuardia: Dr. Chris Alexander, Dr. Kristen Gallagher, Dr. Noam Scheindlin, Dr. Laura Tanenbaum, Dr. Nicole Shippen.

A gallery of 8 photos showing pieces of paper with printed text and written notes, hands touching a writing on the various pieces of paper. — On March 26th, the Collective Translation at LaGuardia Community College hosted an event with over 50 students, staff, and faculty during which they worked to translate the poem into 12 languages, with multiple translations in some languages for a total of 17 translations.

On April 28, the Unitarian Universalists Congregation of the South Fork in Bridgehampton, New York held a hybrid community reading of poems from Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear.

A group of smiling people stand behind a table with vases of tulips and the book Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear.

Poetry brought out everyone’s creativity. On April 27, at SAWA SoCal’s “Together for Gaza: A Day of Unity and Solidarity,” nearly 100 participants were invited to write poems inspired by Mosab Abu Toha’s poem “What is Home?”

On May 24, the Richmond and Kingston Palestine Solidarity Campaign hosted an event at Beit El Fezzani Cafe in London, England.

People sit in a circle in a cafe holding books in their laps.

Thank you to all the volunteers who held One Book, Many Communities events in 2024!

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March 20, 2024, 4:00 pm (EDT): Islamic Studies Library, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. More information here.
March 26, 2024, 10:30 am-1 pm (EDT): Collective translation event to translate the poem “Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear” in room E-500 at LaGuardia Community College, Long Island City, New York, USA.
April 5, 2024, 12:00 pm (CDT): Hosted by the Language, Literature, and Arts Department and the University Library at Texas A&M University – San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA. More information here.
April 7, 2024, 2:00 pm (MDT): Hosted by Southern Colorado Equality Alliance at Rawlings Library Makerspace, Pueblo, Colorado, USA. More information here.
April 16, 2024, 12:30 pm (CDT): NAHC 218, San Antonio College, San Antonio, Texas, USA. Livestream of One Book Live shown and lunch provided. More info here.
April 20, 2024, 3:00 pm (PDT): Online event hosted by Black Girl Hockey Club, Riverside, California, USA.
April 26, 2024, 5:00 pm (EDT): Hosted by Party for Socialism and Liberation Lancaster at Pocket Books Shop, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Attendees encouraged to wear masks. More information here.
April 27, 2024, 11 am-4 pm (PDT): Children’s Poetry & Literature for Palestine booth featuring poetry from Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear. Part of SAWA SoCal‘s “Together for Gaza: A Day of Unity and Solidarity” event, Mike Ward Community Park, 20 Lake Road, Irvine, California, USA.
April 27, 2024: 8-9:00 pm (EDT): Featured room during the COVID Isn’t Over Saturday Night Hangout.
April 28, 2024, 1-3:00 pm (PDT): Private event in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA.
April 28, 2024, 4:00 pm (EDT): Unitarian Universalists Congregation of the South Fork, Bridgehampton, New York, USA.
April 29, 2024, 8:00 pm (EDT): Online event hosted by Library Freedom Project.
May 4, 2024, LAP SoCal (private event), Los Angeles, California, USA.
May 5, 2024, 2-3:00 pm (EDT): Hosted by Charis Books & More, Decatur, Georgia, USA.
May 6, 2024, 6-8:00 pm (PDT): Book discussion at Lestat’s on Park, 4496 Park Boulevard, San Diego, California, USA.
May 15, 2024, 7:00 pm (EDT): Hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace Northern NJ, Montclair, New Jersey, USA. More information here.
May 21, 2024, 7-8:00 pm (EDT): Hosted by Kensington – Windsor Terrace Mutual Aid, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
May 21, 2024, 5:30-8:00 pm (PDT): In-person event at A.B.O. Comix Collective, Oakland, California, USA.
May 22, 2024, 6:30-8:00 pm (EDT): at Interference Archive, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
May 24, 2024, 7:00 pm (BST): Hosted by Richmond and Kingston Palestine Solidarity Campaign at Beit El Fezzani Cafe, London, England, United Kingdom. More information here.
May 25, 2024, 2-3:30 pm (EDT): Monroe County Library, Bedford Branch, Temperance, Michigan, United States.
May 26, 2024, 1-3:00 pm (EDT): Play soccer and celebrate Palestinian writing with Left Wing Futbolista NYC (weather permitting). Nellie’s Lawn, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
May 26, 2024, 3:00 pm (CDT): Hosted by the Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East Shreveport Chapter at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
May 26, 2024, 3-5:00 pm (EDT): Hybrid event hosted by Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
May 28, 2024, 6-7:30 pm (PDT): Okanagan Regional Library, Summerland Branch, Summerland, British Columbia, Canada. More information here.
May 28, 2024, 7-9:00 pm (EDT): In collaboration with the United Jewish Peoples’ Order, at the Centre for Social Innovation Annex Garage, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. More information here.
May 30, 2024, 7:15 pm (BST): Bookbugs and Dragon Tales, Norwich, England, United Kingdom.
June 11, 2024, 4-6:00 pm (CDT): John T. Richardson Library, Room 103, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.