Glasgow student creates blog to showcase ‘power and creativity emerging from Gaza’

In a joint partnership between the University of Glasgow and the Islamic University of Gaza, the Voices from Gaza blog is an archive of testimonies from over 30 students living in Gaza. These testimonies are in the form of poetry, fiction, and essays, shared monthly both on the blog and the Voices from Gaza Instagram page.

The UofG doctoral student, Micheal Quinn who helped develop and curate this blog, carries the hope that these creative pieces can “reach broader audiences, inspire action, and highlight the power and creativity emerging from Gaza, even in these exceedingly difficult times.” The multimodal pieces in the blog are organised thematically, from December 2025 to the present, exploring themes such as displacement, loss, and love. 

It has been reported that there have been over 70,000 deaths in Gaza since the Israeli offensive began in October 2023, with continued strikes following the ceasefire in January 2025. One such strike occurred on Monday 21st April 2026, in which five civilians were killed in Gaza, while media institutions continue to call on Israel to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza independently. 

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According to the United Nations, the “humanitarian crisis” in the Gaza Strip and Occupied West Bank, has led to widespread displacement in the population, with a further “education crisis” caused by the “physical damage to school infrastructure, threats to education progress, as well as the impact on teachers and counsellors who carry the dual burden of supporting students while navigating their own exposure to loss and insecurity.” 

Within this humanitarian crisis, some students have had to travel for hours to get a signal to send their testimonies to the blog. Michael Quinn described how “some of the stories of what they go through to get in contact with us are incredible.” 

One such contributor, Ghaydaa, writes of the suffering of Gazan students and their families describing the emotions following the death of the “backbone” of her family, “our hearts cannot bear such a devastating and grievous loss.” She also describes the shortage of food and supplies, saying “there is not enough gas and no healthy food,” and there is a continued presence of rockets and strikes, “the air smells of the poison of rockets that killed you.”

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Mais Jamil Elbahnasawi describes the effects of the conflict on her schooling. In her poetry she describes “a child in a school uniform, Running toward life.” However, after 2023 she describes how, “That girl learned, quietly, /That time does not walk beside our wishes. /It carries both light and loss, /Dreams that bloom /And others that shatter.”

Despite the “themes of fear, hurt and darkness” in the poetry, there is, what Michael describes as “a powerful unifying message of love, hope and optimism.”  Take for example, the poetry of Wasfia Hisham Yahya who expresses her hopes for the future of her homeland, ‘You light up the earth, the stars are witnesses / You will return, my homeland/ Your flag will fly freely in the air  /My homeland, we are yours and you are ours.”  

The Voices from Gaza blog allows for the sharing of these experiences whilst providing “a means for students in Gaza to express their experiences in their own words.” As the student writer, Haya Abu Mualla describes in a poetic image of resilience: “They rise every morning with hearts louder than bombs.”

If you have been affected by the contents of this article, all University of Glasgow students can access a free confidential helpline on 0800 028 3766 (or use the Wisdom App) to discuss any difficulties they may be facing. Glasgow Caledonian’s student wellbeing support services can be accessed by calling +44 (0)141 273 1393. The University of Strathcylde’s wellbeing service can be contacted via +44 (0) 141 548 3402.

Alternatively, you can contact the Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123, or contact Shout, a 24/7 text messaging service, by texting the word “Shout” to 85258.

Featured image via Instagram @voicesfromgazablog