Randa Ghazy

Randa Ghazy is an Italian Egyptian writer.

Ghazy was born in Italy to Egyptian parents and studied International Relations at the University of Milan. In 2002 at the age of 15 she wrote her first novel Sognando Palestina (Dreaming of Palestine), which has been translated in 16 countries. The book had its share of controversy and criticism. Ghazy wrote the book based on news reports and her own research. The book told the story of a group of young Palestinians who have a tough life in the Israel-occupied region of the West Bank and Gaza. The protagonists of the story are oppressed by the Israelis. This portrayal drew angry criticism from Jewish critics who thought the book incited hatred against the Jews, prompting extremist acts like suicide bombings against Israeli targets. There were calls in France to ban the book.