Basem Khandakji

Basem Khandakji (Arabic: باسم خندقجي, romanized: Bāsim khndqjy; born 1983) is a Palestinian writer who was born in 1983. When he was 20, he was convicted in his role in helping to kill three people. His novel, written while in prison, A Mask, the Color of the Sky won the Arabic Booker Prize in 2024.

He has studied at An-Najah National University and Al-Quds University. He was arrested by the Israeli Defense Forces on November 2, 2004, and was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the Carmel Market bombing, in which three people were murdered. He has published several novels, poems, and studies from prison. Khandakhji was released from Israeli prison in 2025 as part of the deal to exchange Palestinian prisoners for hostages being held by Hamas.