Acclaimed playwright Peter Oswald embarks on 150-mile fasting pilgrimage for Palestine

Award-winning British playwright and poet Peter Oswald will undertake a 150-mile fasting pilgrimage from Bristol to London, beginning on 18 March and culminating in Parliament Square on 30 March.

Peter Oswald: a pilgrimage for Palestine

The thirteen-day journey, undertaken in solidarity with the Palestinian people, will raise awareness of Israel’s ongoing apartheid and genocide and support educational initiatives in Gaza and the West Bank.

Peter Oswald, 59, was the resident playwright at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre from 1998 to 2009 and is widely recognised for his verse drama. As part of his “Pilgrimage4Palestine”, he will fast from dawn to dusk, marking the holy month of Ramadan in solidarity with the Palestinian people and the global Muslim community.

“While leading this walk, I will be calling to the soul of Britain through the soles of my feet,” said Oswald:

Though there is a fragile ceasefire in Palestine, the persecution of the Palestinian people continues. Israel’s decision to ban UNRWA from Gaza is a clear signal that it will resist efforts to rebuild the region. Injustice flourishes when the world looks away, and as long as we remain unaware, peace remains elusive.

The route will follow the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath to Reading before continuing through quieter roads into central London.

Supporters and well-wishers are encouraged to walk alongside Peter Oswald at any stage, and poetry readings, public discussions, and solidarity events are planned along the way. His wife, Alice Oswald, former Oxford Professor of Poetry and BBC Radio 4 Poet-in-Residence, will join him for part of the journey.

Hands Up Project

The pilgrimage is organised by the Bristol Palestine Alliance and the Palestine Solidarity Movement Bournemouth, raising funds for the Hands Up Project, which connects Palestinian schoolchildren with teachers and students worldwide through drama and storytelling.

In Bristol he will be presented with the key of a house in Palestine to carry to Parliament Square.

Featured image via the Canary