“Live from London…” These were the opening words of Ali Abu Yasin’s acceptance speech on Thursday evening, as the writer, actor and director from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza accepted the prestigious English PEN Writer of Courage Award 2026.
The Writer of Courage Award recognises an author who actively defends freedom of expression, often at great risk to their own safety and liberty. Each year, the recipient is selected by the winner of the PEN Pinter Prize. This year, the 2026 prizewinner, Jacqueline Rose, chose Ali Abu Yasin as her co-winner.
Shubbak was honoured to partner with English PEN to help make Ali’s visit to London, and his presence at the award ceremony, possible. In the 18-year history of the prize, only one other Writer of Courage has been able to attend in person to accept their award. To play a part in bringing Ali to London for this moment was a real privilege.
Having spent time with Ali during his visit, it is not difficult to understand why he was chosen as this year’s recipient. Our Head of Finance and Operations, Huda Daghem, welcomed him to London on his first day and joined the English PEN team in celebrating his birthday which serendipitously fell during his visit. Hearing him describe this visit as the beginning of his life again made us all the more grateful to have played a part in bringing him here. Every conversation with Ali feels like a gift. His words carry meaning and weight with a unique ability to reach you somewhere deep in the heart, even when spoken over an overflowing plate of food in a Lebanese restaurant somewhere in Bloomsbury.
At the award ceremony, Jacqueline Rose, alongside the Chair of English PEN, Ruth Northwick, and Baroness Helena Kennedy, all delivered powerful speeches touching on the importance of honest and, to use Harold Pinter’s words, ‘unflinching’ writing, especially in the current climate of our world today. When Rose announced Ali as the Writer of Courage recipient, the room erupted into thunderous applause. And it just kept going. When Ali was finally able to speak over the roar of the room, he delivered a deeply moving acceptance speech, the very embodiment of unflinching.
His reflections on the power of writers, the responsibility of words to carry the truth, and the importance of holding on to optimism were a powerful reminder of why freedom of expression matters, and why writers who continue to speak out in the face of extraordinary adversity must be heard.
It was Shubbak’s great honour to work alongside English PEN to support Ali’s journey to the UK and make it possible for him to receive this award in person. We are deeply grateful to have been part of a moment that celebrated not only Ali’s courage and extraordinary voice, but also the enduring power of words to connect us, move us and remind us of our shared humanity.
A word from Ali Abu Yasin:
This award carries special significance because the distinguished writer and activist Jacqueline Rose selected me to share it with her. Jacqueline is one of the most sincere and courageous voices championing the Palestinian cause today. She has devoted years of her life to advocating for our people and their right to freedom and justice.
At the same time, this award deeply resonates with me because it bears the name of Harold Pinter, who believed in humanity and stood firmly against wars and oppressive regimes. Early in my career, I had the honour of staging his play One for the Road in Palestine.
I never wrote in pursuit of an award; I wrote because I believe that death is voiceless, but our voices never die.
Words are what grant us life when death closes in around us; a person may die, but their words transcend time. And yet, I do not feel brave when I consider an entire people who have faced war with steadfast resilience, loss, hunger, and death. Accordingly, I dedicate this award to the people of Gaza and to every writer who has chosen to navigate the vast sea of words – no matter how fierce the storm – while holding fast to the compass of freedom and truth.