Red is Everywhere
by Sama Shaheen
Genre: Poetry
Written by Sama Shaheen and narrated by Paloma Faith. Cover art by Shahd Rajab.
This audio Copyright ©2025 by Sama Shaheen
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 Sama Shaheen, 'Red is Everwhere' is narrated by Paloma Faith.
Through the lense of genocide, the once lush Gaza is now seen in red. Red is in the flowers, glows in every building, seeps into day and night, and hides the very existence of Gaza behind a red screen.
Click the video below to hear Paloma's reading of Sama's poem:
about the author
Sama Shaheen is a 15-year-old Palestinian writer from Gaza.
Her creative work is shaped by the reality of war and daily life under siege. For her, writing is a form of resistance and a means to speak the truths that are often left unsaid. Her words emerge from pain and honesty, carrying the voice of a generation growing up under bombardment, yet refusing to give up on hope. She sees writing as a continuous path toward expression and survival.
Sama on Instagram: instagram.com/sama.shahean/
about the narrator
We’re thrilled to have the multi-talented, multi-award winning music sensation Paloma Faith as a guest narrator for “Red Is Everywhere.”
Paloma has released 6 albums, one of them debuting at Number One in the UK Albums Chart. As well as a multiple Double Platinum artist, she is a Sunday Times best selling author.
She is a Brit Award winner (including Best Female Solo Artist) and a Global Awards and World Music Awards winner, among a huge list of accolades spanning a successful international career of more than fifteen years.
Paloma has featured on screen in the films St Trinian’s and The Imagination of Doctor Parnassus, and starred in the TV drama Pennyworth as an actress.
Paloma is a favourite on TV shows including a stint as a judge and coach on The Voice UK and The Voice Kids UK.
She currently has a successful podcast, Mad, Sad and Bad where she interviews a plethora of celebrity guests from the comfort of her own home.
Paloma is an active campaigner for human rights, and among other humanitarian causes uses her voice to advocate for freedom in Gaza and an end to the genocide.
You can find Paloma on Instagram at:instagram.com/palomafaith/
about the artist
The cover for "Eid Without a Timeout" was created by Palestinian artist Shahd Rajab, with input from the author. You can discover more about Shahd and her life in Gaza below.
"I'm the Palestinian artist Shahd Rajab from Gaza City.
I'm 21 years old and currently studying at the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.
I love art and coffee.
I have practiced drawing as a hobby since childhood. Life completely stopped since the beginning of the 2023 war until this day. I have nothing left but my artistic talent to express what’s inside me and share it with the world.
I have lived through many wars since 2008 in the Gaza Strip, which has been under siege for years. I have experienced all kinds of suffering, including displacement: my family and I have been displaced more than 20 times across the small Gaza Strip, from south to north and from east to west, fleeing death as well as famine, thirst, genocide, fear, killing, homelessness, and much more.
I have created more than 150 artworks during the war, and I am still drawing."
Find out more about Shahd and see her artwork on Instagram at @shahd_rajab51
At the time of writing, Bibliophone does not generate a revenue and is run by a small team of volunteers. We don't need money but there are people now, more than ever, who will really benefit from it. If you enjoy Shahd's artwork and you'd like to support her, please consider a donation to her Gofundme page