It all really started with a journalist asking “why do you Palestinians teach your children to hate?” That evening I wrote the poem We Teach Life. I am very honoured that so many people have shared it widely since it was filmed at a London event in 2011. It has taken me some time to do a studio recording of that poem along with 11 new ones that I hope capture even a glimpse of the resilience of ordinary people fighting for justice. Musically, I worked with Phil Monsour who assembled a great team of talented musicians to bring this new album together, including the amazing Mohamed Youssef on Oud. I am very excited about the blend of poetry and music we have created and look forward to sharing it with you. But before we can release the new album we need your help in the final stages of production!



We have come far, but crucial parts like the mastering, design and manufacturing of CDs are yet to happen. As independent artists we are not waiting on production companies, the few we dealt with quickly requested changes in the poems to “tone down” the message. So we decided to reach out to you to get this CD out – we really hope you’ll be part of this project to help amplify the words so we can reach an even wider audience and break through the distorted mainstream version of Palestinian history and refugee struggles.

We waited to make sure we had the right team to work on this project and then we had to contend with borders working against us (as they usually do!). Our aim is for 30% of proceeds from the album to go to refugee support organisations in Lebanon and Greece, particularly given the disgraceful way that governments have dealt with the humanitarian crisis this summer.

Help us spread the word to reach our target – it’s an all or nothing campaign – so every little bit counts. Please share this campaign widely. We are counting on your support!

We have set this target to cover the basic minimal costs of making a good quality record, this includes: musician fees, recording, engineering, mastering, design and manufacturing. If we exceed the target amount it will be used for album promotion and, as mentioned above, a percentage of proceeds from CD sales will go to support refugee rights organizations in Lebanon and Greece.