On Nov. 17, 2025, It’s Ok* Studios on Queen Street West was full to the brim with people gathering for the book launch of Voices of Resistance: Diaries of Genocide and a discussion with the authors of Razing Palestine: The Cost and Consequences of Solidarity, an Anthology Edited by Leila Marshy. The books were provided by Another Story Bookshop, an independent, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC-focused bookstore that has operated since 1987, and the food—falafel, chicken shawarma, hummus and other Middle Eastern dishes—was donated by Lebanese Garden and sold at the event to fundraise for Gaza.
The four female authors of Voices of Resistance—Batool Abu Akleen, Nahil Mohana, Ala’a Obaid, and Sondos Sabra—are in Gaza, so Nadia Shamas (Palestinian author of Squire: A Graphic Novel), Leila Marshy (editor and publisher of Razing Palestine and daughter of a Palestinian refugee to Newfoundland), and two others read excerpts from each of the authors of the book. These excerpts take the form of diary entries, which offer first hand descriptions of the effects of war and genocide on the Palestinian people
.Published on Oct. 14 with Biblioasis, the personal narratives in Voices of Resistance shed light on Palestinian resistance in the face of unimaginable hardship and atrocity. Leila Marshy read an excerpt from an entry written by Nahil Mohana on Jan. 16, 2025. After a ceasefire was announced, Mohana lists the wishes she has heard from the people around her:
2. We will have electricity
12. We will eat meat, chicken, shawarma, maftoul, eggs, fresh vegetables, juices and ice cream.
13. I will kiss my husband; I miss our moments together.
19. We will go back to walking in the streets without fear of shrapnel, or fear of going out and never coming back.
21. We will bathe under a shower.
25. I will bury my son, who remains under the rubble of the house.
Marshy praised the authors’ testimonials as a “beautiful mix of the daily struggles along with political analysis[,] raw reporting and transparent heartbreak. It is extremely powerful and not for the faint of heart.”
After the book launch, multi-award winning journalist and producer Samira Mohyeddin facilitated a discussion with several of the authors who contributed to Razing Palestine, an edited collection of essays and stories by a diverse group of individuals from Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal who were fired, silenced, or otherwise punished for their involvement in Palestinian solidarity. Some of the contributors who were at the event included Thoby King (lawyer), Dr. Yipeng Ge (former resident at University of Ottawa), Iman Kassam (journalism professor), Sheima Benembarek (author of Halal Sex), Katherine Grzejszczak (former paramedic and President of CUPE Local 905), and Abigail B. Bakan (author of Israel, Palestine and the Politics of Race and Professor at University of Toronto).
“It was a wonderfully mixed audience, as was our launch in Montreal,” Marshy explains when asked about the engagement at the event. “People of all ages, all backgrounds. People from different struggles, students, academics, neighbourhood activists. The struggle for a free Palestine has evolved into a nexus of anti-fascism and anti-colonialism organizing. It completely overlaps with struggles for queer rights, indigenous rights, gender rights. We are creating a community that is strong and resilient and very, very informed.”
It’s Ok* Studios, an independent Black-led multipurpose arts space, hosts regular events that foster community and creativity, offering a space for artists and audiences to connect through cultural programming. Recent examples of events include the Long Winter concert series featuring experimental and emerging artists; a Ghanaian highlife and Afrobeat performance by the Rhythm Section Band; and the Blackhurst Research Residency symposium, a gallery-style afternoon showcasing the work of local youth researchers. Follow along on their Instagram @itsok.world.
Razing Palestine was published on Nov. 15, 2025 and is available for order in paperback or for download as an epub or pdf from barakabooks.com. Voices of Resistance can be purchased at biblioasis.com. All proceeds will go directly to support the authors and their families.
