The Monthly discusses the craft of writing with Honduran writer, Dayani Flores – Part 4 – A trip to Palestine

You recently went on a trip to Palestine as part of an Artists and Creatives delegation. How did that come about?

In Honduras I am a political activist. Once I started studying in the public university it was a space that was always being attacked by the government, or by investors that want to privatise education. They don’t see education as a right, and that was how I started getting politically involved. And after that it became part of my life. I am involved in protests, I make political statements, and I find different ways to be active.

Photo Courtesy of Dayani Flores

In Palestine, I saw how difficult it was for people there. We went to refugee camps, we saw settlements, we saw the military, we saw the checkpoints and the restrictions on where Palestinians can go and where they are not allowed to go.

Will you write about that?

I do have some short stories already, some articles and essays as well. We went to meet up with an organisation called The Fiction Council, and that impacted me a lot. I thought what the writer we met there was doing was really beautiful, working with the Palestinian people’s stories and looking to incorporate folk tales and legends into the narratives. I thought there was a lot in common with him and so I have an interview with the founder of The Fiction Council.

Photo Courtesy of Dayani Flores

Where to now?

I want to write a book of short stories and I wish to publish it through a publishing company, to make it easier to reach other people. I do want to do it this way to learn how this field works. I want learn to understand the business aspect of how publishing works.

I appreciate that it might be difficult and it also might be constricting but I’m still learning about that process. Regardless I will keep writing, working on my stories and my political writing as well.

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