The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) is honoured to announce the winner of the 2026 Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize as Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, Palestinian-Australian academic, lawyer, award-winning author and one of the most powerful voices for Palestinian justice in Australia today.
Dr Abdel-Fattah is the first Palestinian recipient of the Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize. Dr Abdel-Fattah is recognised for her extraordinary and unwavering contribution to public debate, literature, scholarship and advocacy for Palestinian rights.
The Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize is awarded in recognition of the contribution of people supporting the Palestinian call for justice.
Through her work as a writer, academic and public intellectual, Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah has helped shape how generations of Australians understand identity, racism, colonialism and the struggle for Palestinian liberation. Dr Abdel-Fattah has embodied Palestinian Sumud (steadfastness), having remained resolute and unshakeable in the face of unrelenting attacks. Her courage and determination are an inspiration to many.
An internationally published author, Dr Abdel-Fattah has written twelve books for children and young adults, translated into more than thirteen languages. Her groundbreaking debut novel Does My Head Look Big In This? won the Australian Book Industry Award for Best Australian Book for Young Adult Readers and helped transform the landscape of Australian young-adult fiction by centring the experiences of a Muslim protagonist navigating identity, faith and belonging. Her body of work includes novels such as Ten Things I Hate About Me, Where the Streets Had a Name, When Michael Met Mina and The Lines We Cross, alongside children’s books and essays exploring race, belonging and justice. Her nonfiction work Coming of Age in the War on Terror examines how Muslim youth navigate racism, surveillance and political discourse in Australia and was shortlisted for the NSW and Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards.
In 2025, she released the adult novel Discipline, set in Sydney amid the global reverberations of Israel’s assault on Gaza. The novel explores the systemic marginalisation of Palestinian and Muslim voices in Australian media and academia during the 2021 Israel-Gaza conflict, examining themes of complicity, courage and the cost of silence. The book recently won the People’s Choice Award at the 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, reflecting the powerful public response to both its storytelling and its political courage.
Throughout her career, Dr Abdel-Fattah has used literature, scholarship and public engagement to challenge the silencing of Palestinian voices. In recent months, she has also been at the centre of national debate about censorship and anti-Palestinian racism after being removed from several literary events, including Adelaide Writers’ Week, prompting widespread criticism and solidarity from writers across Australia and internationally.
In awarding the 2026 Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize, the jury recognised Dr Abdel-Fattah’s courage, intellectual leadership and unwavering commitment to Palestinian justice. At a time when Palestinians in Occupied Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem are facing devastating violence and displacement, honouring a Palestinian writer and scholar carries particular weight. Dr Abdel-Fattah’s work insists that Palestinian voices cannot be erased and that literature, scholarship and public truth-telling remain vital tools in the global struggle for justice.
In honouring Dr Abdel-Fattah, APAN celebrates a voice that refuses and rebukes silence, censorship, erasure and affirms the enduring power of Palestinian truth, culture and resistance.
The Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize award ceremony will be held on Friday, 10 April, from 6pm in Melbourne. Tickets are available at: https://apan.org.au/jpp-register/
Comment attributed to — Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah
As a Palestinian the greatest reward I have advocating and fighting for my people’s freedom is the dignity, community love and self-respect that comes with being part of a “just cause” and noble liberation movement.
Every win, every battle, every award is not about me as an individual but about us as a collective. I accept this award with humility and a sincere recognition that all my work and efforts are possible because of community support and solidarity.
I thank APAN and the judges for this tremendous honour. It is a privilege and bonus to be recognised for work that comes from the heart. Thank you.
Comment attributed to — Nasser Mashni, President, Australia Palestine Advocacy Network
“Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah is the most powerful and principled Palestinian voice in Australia today. Through her writing, scholarship and public advocacy, she has challenged racism, confronted injustice and ensured Palestinian stories are heard even when powerful institutions attempt to silence them.
Her work reflects the courage and intellectual strength that define Palestinian resistance, uncompromising determination in demanding truth, dignity and justice in the face of enormous pressure.
It is deeply fitting that this year the Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize is awarded to a Palestinian whose voice continues to inspire so many people to stand up for justice.
Honouring Randa this year is not only recognition of her extraordinary work, but a celebration of the enduring power of Palestinian voices that refuse to be silenced.”
ENDS