I’ve never asked anyone for money before. Well, not for myself, anyway. I’ve raised money from friends before for individuals in dire need. I’m a bit embarrassed about this, so I will just go ahead and get to the point.
I opened a profile on Patreon, which is a site for artists to seek regular supporters. It’s different from a crowdfunding platform, because artists usually don’t work on a one project. Rather, our work is ongoing.
Below I have copied what I wrote on Patreon regarding why I am seeking your support. Also, for your support, you’ll be receiving different gifts from me each month. So, if you enjoy my writing and my art, please consider supporting my work.
who is khulud and what is she doing on Patreon?
My name is khulud khamis, and I am a Palestinian feminist writer, poet, and activist. I live in Haifa, and my writing is based on the daily reality of living in a conflict zone, thus – fictionalized realities.
My first novel, Haifa Fragments, was published by Spinifex Press (AUS), New Internationalist(UK), and translated into Italian, (Frammenti di Haifa, Fila 37) and forthcoming in Turkish.
I wrote Haifa Fragments while working two jobs, caring for a disabled mother, and raising a daughter on my own. Last year, and following the publication of Haifa Fragments and serious health crises of two first-degree relatives, I decided that if I want to continue writing and stay sane, I need to slow down a little, and so I decided to withdraw all my savings and step down to a part-time position.
Working less has enabled me to dedicate more time to my writing. For the past year, I’ve been working on my second novel, Taboos in Arabic. Alongside of working on the novel, I’m working on a series of short stories, which are also based on our daily reality here. The first short story is already completed and was accepted for publication by Consequence Literary Magazine – it will be out in the 2016 Spring issue. The story, called “Conflict Zone Date,” is based on an incident that happened in 2012 in Jerusalem, where a group of young Jewish men physically attacked a young Palestinian man only because he is Palestinian. It is a fictionalized reality of that violent incident. If you’d like to read more about how I came to write about this, please visit my Haifa Fieldnotes blog. Currently, I have ideas and some initial notes for three additional short stories, aiming ultimately to have around 10-12 stories and published as a collection.
I write to bring forth marginalized voices to the forefront. I write to make women’s voices heard. I write because there are stories that want to be written, and voices that want to be heard. I deal with various themes in my writings, such as racism, violence against women, militarization of civil society, identity, belonging, individual history vs. collective history.
On my Haifa Fieldnotes blog, I post poetry, opinion articles, pieces on the process of writing, and self-contained fragments from my novel-in-progress. I publish 3-4 posts every month.
Why is your support important to me?
With your generous support, I will be able to dedicate most of my time to writing, and complete the novel I’m working on as well as dedicate enough time to the collection of short stories that I’ve begun. Writing is a form of art, but it is also a form of work. I am currently not making enough money from my novel to be able to live a dignified life. I hope that within several years, and with the publication of my second novel, I will be earning enough money from my novels to be able to continue dedicating most of my time to writing. Until then, I hope you will find my writing worth supporting.
Please contact me if you have any questions: khulud.khamis@gmail.com
To support me, please follow the link to my profile on Patreon.
Thank you so much!
Writing in the Margins 