Set across the globe from Palestine to Kuwait, Italy to New York and Arizona, in Paradiso 17 Hannah Lillith Assadi presents an intimate, sweeping tale about a man in exile’s restless search for home, navigating loss and life, grief and euphoria, regret and hope.
2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction judge, Salma El-Wardany said: “Paradiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assadi is an exquisitely written story about a man who is displaced from his home in Palestine and how that informs the rest of his life. It is a story of longing and being an immigrant, and the things people do when they are yearning for home.”
To learn more, we spoke to Hannah about her inspirations, creative process, favourite authors and more:
Congratulations on being longlisted for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction; how does it feel to be longlisted and what does it mean to you?
I feel incredibly blessed that Paradiso 17 has been recognised by such a prestigious and discerning award committee. To be acknowledged among this group of women writers, those longlisted in both past and present years, is one of the great achievements of my life.
How would you describe your book to a new reader?
Paradiso 17 is the story of a man’s endless search for home after he is exiled from Palestine in the Nakba of 1948. Tracking the flight of Sufien, a character inspired by my own late father, this novel moves across the decades from birth to death, and from the Middle East to Europe to America. Though harrowing, it is ultimately a tale of triumph in that Sufien does at last realise his return and homecoming, even if in a supernatural form.
What was the idea that sparked your novel?
I began writing this novel as my father lay on his deathbed. In the weeks before his passing, he said to me in despair that he felt his life had been wasted. In writing his story, I set out to prove him wrong.
What did the writing process, from gathering ideas to finishing your book, look like?
I began writing this novel in the final days of my father’s life. In the year after his passing, I continued writing his story every night after my children fell asleep. Those midnight hours, and these pages, held all of my grief. I finished the first draft in October 2023. And then the world as we knew it changed.
Which female author would you say has impacted your work the most?
What is the one thing you’d like a reader to take away from reading your book?
I would like a reader to feel as though the world, as we know it, is much smaller than our dreams.
Could you reveal a secret about your creative process? This could be where you like to write, a unique writing ritual you have to unlock creativity, or how you go about writing.
I have to write with no one else around. I need absolute silence. This is why nighttime suits me best of all.
Why do you feel it is important to celebrate women’s writing?
It is essential to recognise and broaden the reach of women writers because we hold the vision for a better world.
