Aquila-Style feature on Leila Khaled

Leila Khaled: Icon of Palestinian Liberation featured in the latest issue of Aquila-Style magazine, in an article by Arwa Aburawa:

Reviewed in the Daily Star, Lebanon

The Daily Star, 14th June 2012.

Ultimately, the biographer’s major accomplishment is to remake a decades-old revolutionary icon into a living, breathing woman.
Yes, Khaled is an activist and a political voice on contemporary Palestinian affairs and her commitment to her cause has endured. Her wit and bloody-mindedness in the face of occupation have not lessened an iota. In Irving’s portrayal, Khaled is a wife and mother faced with the challenges of raising a family, but one with the additional concerns of a Palestinian refugee and former militant.
That Irving has found space in this light volume for extensive exploration of the evolution of women’s rights within the Palestinian resistance is testament to the author’s economy with words.
“Leila Khaled – Icon of Palestinian Liberation” is an ideal read for those seeking a brief introductory account that neither glorifies or vilifies its subject nor dumbs down the complexity of the context in which she lived and worked.

Read the full article here.

New reviews…

New reviews of Leila Khaled biography:
Palestine Chronicle, 29th May 2012
Lipstick Socialist, 7th June 2012
Sugar Street Review, 7th June 2012

Reviewed on Electronic Intifada

Electronic Intifada, 23rd May 2012

Known primarily for the two aircraft hijacking operations she was involved with in 1969 and 1970, Khaled has since then become a major PFLP activist and leader in her own right. It may come as a surprise, then, that before the publication of Leila Khaled: Icon of Palestinian Liberation, there was no biography of her (apart from an autobiography in the 1970s). The Electronic Intifada contributor Sarah Irving has set out to right this wrong, and achieves it ably with this exciting little book, newly published by Pluto Press as part of its “Revolutionary Lives” series.
A major strength of the book is that its based mostly on primary source material: interviews with Khaled herself at her home in Amman, Jordan. Irving also dove into the archives, reading seemingly everything there was to be found in English on Khaled.

Full article here.

First coverage of Leila Khaled biography

From Al-Quds Al-Arabi, 6th May 2012
الكتاب على صغر حجمه مهم لانه يحكي قصة ليلى خالد معتمدا على شهادتها وصوتها يحضر في ثنايا السرد، ولعل قصة العملية الفاشلة وموت باتريك من اكثر المشاهد اثارة للحزن وحبسا للانفاس، فهنا التعاطف العالمي والموت في ارض غريبة بعيدة عن الوطن، والموت جائعا. كتاب مثير وغني ومفيد للقارىء باللغة الانكليزية.
Full article here.

Manchester launch for Leila Khaled biography

And in a move to break with the usual London-centrism of the publishing industry etc etc… the first launch event for the Leila Khaled biography will be in Manchester at Blackwell’s University Bookshop on Oxford Road, from 7pm on Thursday 24th May. All welcome. More details here.

London launch for Leila Khaled biography

The London book launch for Leila Khaled: Icon of the Palestinian Revolution will be held at Housman’s Bookshop on Caledonian Road in King’s Cross on Saturday 2nd June. More details here and Facebook event here.

Leila Khaled at Marxism 2012

As part of the publicity for the forthcoming biography, Leila Khaled will be appearing at Marxism 2012 in July. As she has been denied UK visas since her 2002 visit, this will be by Skype videolink, allowing her to speak to the audience and take questions. More details here.

Leila Khaled biography discounted at Pluto Press

Pluto Books now have the Leila Khaled biography available to pre-order at a discounted rate. Hopefully the actual book will be out in May this year. More details of the book and the Pluto offer here.

Pluto Books spring/summer 2012 catalogue out now

Pluto Books’ new spring/summer 2012 catalogue is now out and available here. In it, Nicholas Blincoe says of ‘Leila Khaled: Icon of Palestinian Liberation’ that “Sarah Irving provides a fine portrayal of a compelling and mysterious figure from a tumultuous period in Palestinian history, mixing biography and historical critique to deliver a valuable insight into Leila Khaled’s character as well as her extraordinary appeal as a revolutionary icon”.