Stitching the Intifada

Embroidery and Resistance in Palestine

Written by Rachel Dedman, edited by Laura Moseley.

Design by Chriss Shortt.

Tatreez — elaborate hand-embroidery — is an ancient Palestinian craft characterised by remarkable beauty and complexity. Beginning with an introduction to the regional diversity of historic Palestinian dress, Rachel Dedman traces the politicisation of embroidery after the Nakba of 1948. From its evolution into a symbol of the nation, to its powerful presence during the First Intifada, and reimagination by contemporary artists, tatreez in Palestine embodies many forms of personal and public resistance. 

Proceeds from this book will be donated to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, whose mission is to provide humanitarian assistance as well as health and social services to Palestinians whenever and wherever needed.

Rachel Dedman (b. 1989, London) is a curator, writer, and art historian. Her work examines the material and political lives of things, and challenges established narratives around cultural production in the Global South. Since 2019, Rachel has been the Jameel Curator of Contemporary Art from the Middle East at the V&A, London, where she curates the triennial Jameel Prize exhibition and the Jameel Fellowship artist residency programme. Beyond the V&A, Rachel curated Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery for Kettle's Yard and The Whitworth, UK, in 2023/24, and was co-curator of the State of Fashion Biennale 2024: Ties That Bind in Arnhem, the Netherlands

Established in 2019 by Laura Moseley (she/they), Common Threads Press is a small press that specializes in radical histories of crafts and making. Based in Norwich, England, they publish zines, deliver workshops, and curate events that uplift the work of women, queer folk, and POC through the histories of their creative work. Common Threads publications are written collaboratively with early-career researchers, students, and academics from all around the world, who share a love and interest in craft histories.

Common Threads Press, 2022, softcover, 5 x  8.25 inches, 80 pages.