Aug 12, 2018The Inconvenient Palestinians30/07/2012 The protagonist of my second novel Shake Off was born in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, and lost his family in the 1982 massacre there. It may have come as a surprise to him, and other Palestinians living in what is left of the refugee…Israel15 min readIsrael15 min read
Jan 21, 2018Waltz With BashirAs a depiction of the futility of war and the confusion, terror and brutalisation of those who take part in it Waltz With Bashir is a powerful example of the genre. This is partly due to the narrative approach, where the protagonist goes on a journey to recover his inaccessible…Israel4 min readIsrael4 min read
Nov 29, 2016The Right Side of HistoryI don’t often write about having myalgic encephalopathy, or ME, but felt compelled to do so after reading Dr Phil Hammond, writing as ‘M.D.’ in Private Eye, acknowledging the prejudices of doctors who believe ME (as opposed to chronic fatigue) to be psychological rather than physical, and dismiss it as…Mental Health4 min readMental Health4 min read
Dec 8, 2014Why I turned down an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2011 Sydney Writer’s FestivalThis was written in 2011 after being shortlisted for the overall Commenwealth Writers’ Prize to be announced at the Sydney Writer’s Festival. Imagine my delight on hearing that my novel, Sabra Zoo, had won the Europe and South Asia regional Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book. I wrote Sabra Zoo…7 min read7 min read
Jul 29, 2014Room 307Room 307 A short story first published by The Fiction Desk (2011) in the anthology ‘All These Little Worlds’ The bar-cum-restaurant was almost empty. Callum sat at a table alone, waiting for his chicken balti, a choice from a menu that included scampi and chips, a hamburger, lasagne, a club sandwich, and a vegetarian selection the specifics of which escaped him. …22 min read22 min read
Jul 26, 2014The Man Who Hugged WomenA short story first published by Unthank Books (2006) in Unthology 3 — Pearl’s behind had widened over the years, Freya observed, as she took Pearl’s coat. Following her into the large kitchen — recently refurbished thanks to Mukesh’s private practice — she conceded that Pearl still had a waist, and dressed to make the most of it. And why shouldn’t she? Pearl…10 min read10 min read
Jul 24, 2014The BurningA short story — first published by Unthank Books 2010 and subsequently in Esquire Russia 2013 — Helen’s concentration was broken by the sound of Jack’s key in the front door. She was standing at the kitchen table still in her work suit, reading a newspaper spread out flat before her. She tried to find her place in the article but it was too late; she was…11 min read11 min read
Jul 24, 2014The SandwichA short story by Mischa Hiller — first published in 2006 as runner-up in the Bridport Prize — I rang the hospital when Sharon told me to. Sharon said it was time, that the contractions were closer together. I could hear her gasping and breathing in the other room. “Ooh yes! it’s happening,” she said loudly. I closed the door so I could hear the midwife on the…14 min read14 min read
Jul 23, 20142000 TerroristsA short story by Mischa Hiller — I can smell my own stale, bitter sweat. I’m on the third floor of a seven-storey building overlooking the camp across the road, standing on the periphery of a group of officers, waiting to be called on. They are studying aerial photos of the camp laid out on a ping-pong…14 min read14 min read
