In the Depth of Gaza - Samah Zagout (Coast Line Press)

Written by Samah Zaquot, Illustrated by Imaan Ali and Alma Gutierrez

“I write from the heart about the experiences we’ve lived through over the past two years. Enjoy reading. Thank you so much.” —Samah Zaqout, inner pages.

“Samah Zaqout writes with heart and depth about life in Gaza during the genocide, not just about herself but about her community, especially the elders. It’s shocking to realize that such a gentle poetic soul has witnessed so much terror, and yet here, in her words and drawings, we are gifted her unique vision, laced with hope and fierce determination . A life-changing read.”—Susan Muaddi Darraj, author of Behind You Is the Sea, Farah Rocks, A Curious Land, and more.

*Best Political Zine, Wellington Zinefest 2025, NZ

“A personal zine, but by a writer whose circumstances makes their mere existence a political statement. Zaqout arranges words to perfection and the Zines for Gaza project demonstrates the potential of zines as a vehicle for international solidarity and understanding.” —judge statement

“When the simple act of a father going to buy falafel becomes one he might not return from. A moment of terror described waiting for his reply.
This zine captures a series of vignettes of family life that happen within the pure horror of war. The devastation of losing your home over and over again, the waiting, the silence. Personal experience punctuated with statistical data that quietly lays out simply one family’s life amongst the endless cycle of loss.
Zines have for a long time been a medium for voices that do not fit in the mainstream, that are inherently political just by way of existence. This zine fits firmly within this legacy and articulates for us the reader what it is to be a writer who belongs to Gaza. A gift from the farthest seas.” —judge statement

Coastal Lines Press is a collective of writers in Gaza. Through Zines from Gaza, they publish independent booklets of poetry, essays, and testimonies that travel like vessels from coast to coast, turning words into vital aid for their families.