Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt

Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt are co-authors of the award-winning documentary cookbook “The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey.” El-Haddad was Al Jazeera English’s online correspondent in Gaza from 2003 to 2006. Originally from Gaza, she now lives in Maryland, where she works as a writer, media activist and public speaker. Schmitt is a writer, researcher and social activist based in Madrid. Her work focuses on the intersections between big politics and daily life.