Sonia Sulaiman is the editor of Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction. She primarily writes short stories and fantasy inspired by Palestinian folklore and history. Her work has appeared in several genre magazines such as Fantasy Magazine, FIYAH, Seize the Press, and PodCastle, as well as in anthologies like Xenocultivars: Stories of Queer Growth and Inara: Light of Utopia. In her spare time, she curates a reading list of Palestinian speculative works that includes links where each work can be found.

Thyme Travellers is a showcase of work from Palestinian writers in the diaspora. Some stories are about Palestine, others are not. Palestinian speculative fiction is currently experiencing a golden age, with such landmark anthologies as Reworlding Ramallah and Palestine +100, and several special issues of genre magazines devoted to Palestinian writing (Strange Horizons, FIYAH, and PodCastle, for example).

Q: Why is the book called Thyme Travellers?

Sonia Sulaiman: I always get asked why the title has “thyme” in it. Thyme is an important staple in Palestinian cooking. It’s especially famous as a wild herb and as an ingredient in the spice mix that shares its name: za’atar. There’s also an old book of Palestinian short stories called Land of Stone and Thyme. So, I took inspiration from there, and I like puns!

Q: What are the dominant themes in Palestinian speculative fiction?

Sulaiman: There’s something for everyone, truly. But very broadly, there is a lot of futurist work, both utopian and dystopian fiction. Thyme Travellers has stories that are very visually vibrant, with themes of memory, alienation, and loss.

Q: What’s the story of how Thyme Travellers came about?

Sulaiman: I have always wanted to take part in a shared world anthology with other Palestinian writers. I formed a group to write one, and we made some progress with brainstorming, but the project did not come together as planned. Instead, it decided to become a much more loose and open work that wasn’t linked by a setting.

Q: How were stories selected for this book?

Sulaiman: I solicited stories from some of the writers in the brainstorming group who were interested in this new venture. I put out an open call for submissions as well. I asked for “speculative fiction’ in order to encompass as many styles and genres as possible. Unfortunately, “speculative fiction” is not a term that’s useful everywhere, so it wasn’t the universal descriptor I thought it would be. I had to reject some very strong work. Going forward, I’ll be more careful with how I frame calls for submissions.

Q: Is there anything the reader should know?

Sulaiman: This book took a few years to really come together. When it was first imagined, we all lived in a very different world. I hope that my preface and the sample discussion questions will promote understanding. The preface was especially difficult to write. I am so grateful to all of the contributors and to Roseway and Fernwood Publishing. They were excellent throughout.