For Returnees
by Hala Al-Zinati
Genre: Poetry
Written by Hala Al-Zinati and narrated by Katie Leung
This audio Copyright ©2025 by Hala Al-Zinati
Part of the GAZA: heard series of poems, written by inhabitants of Gaza, read by acting talents from stage and screen
Written by Palestinian writer Hala Al-Zinati, 'For Returnees' is narrated by Katie Leung. It speaks of the hardship of returning to a home destroyed by occupation, and the hope of a future unknown, in which to flourish.
With special thanks to the Qattan Foundation, a charity operating in Gaza, for connecting us with some of the most talented creatives among us.
about the author
Hala Al-Zinati is a Palestinian writer from the city of Khan Yunis in Gaza.
She is a member of the Palestinian Writers and Authors Association and is a winner of competitions at local and national level.
Hala’s most notable writings include the stories About the Knight Who Lost His Horse, and Dawn on the Collar of Birth, and the poem Five in the Morning, available as an audio/video poem narrated by the actress Nada Tawhid.
Hala finds inspiration in the life and circumstances surrounding her in Gaza:
“I write to express national and humanitarian issues.”
about the narrator
Katie featured in the most recent BBC One thriller Nightsleeper and can currently be seen in Amazon sci-fi The Peripheral from the makers of Westworld. She voices the character of Caitlyn Kiramman in the award winning animation series Arcane.
She has recently appeared in the second season of Wheel of Time for Amazon and in Paramount’s book adaptation series Chemistry of Death.
Katie starred in the BBC/ Alibi series Annika alongside Nicola Walker and her further leading TV credits include Chimerica (Channel 4); One Child (BBC2), Run (Channel 4); and Strangers (BBC/ Amazon).
She played Jackie Chan’s daughter in the feature film The Foreigner and she is also well known from her role as Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films. She was announced as a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit for 2014.
On stage Katie has recently performed in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins play The Comeuppance at the Almeida and her further leading stage credits include Snow in Midsummer (RSC), You For Me For You (Royal Court), The World of Extreme Happiness (National Theatre) and Wild Swans (Young Vic).
She is currently filming Bridgerton season 4 for Netflix.
Katie Leung Instagram: instagram.com/_katieleung_/