Ghada Karmi was born in Jerusalem and was forced to leave her home with her family as a result of Israel’s creation in 1948. The family moved to England in 1949. She practised as a doctor, working as a specialist in the health of migrants and refugees. She held a number of research appointments on Middle Eastern politics and culture at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and in the Universities of Durham and Leeds.

Her most recent books include her memoirs In Search of Fatima: a Palestinian Life and Return. The former is a beautifully written account of her childhood and the creation of her life in the diaspora. Return reflects her sad experiences of going back to Palestine to try to work with the Palestinian Authority, which revealed how difficult it will be to overcome the obstacles, internal and external, to a Palestinian state.