Headed out to Jerusalem from Bethlehem and crossed through the Bethlehem checkpoint. Totally different to Qalandia. Very institutional. A long metal corridor runs along the wall, leading you in to a terminal with more turnstiles and tannoys and bulletproof glass. Billboards with kind messages. Feels like they’re testing out their different containment and security devices to export to the world.

Arrived back at the Ambassador Hotel – it feels like we’ve been gone a month. Headed out into Jerusalem for a tour of the city with Albert Aghazarian – a renowned historian and general Jerusalem character. Albert, however, decided that the group was too big and so took us for a rooftop history lesson. The sun was a little strong, though, and some of us came down a little redder.

We split up and went to explore Jerusalem and, for the second time, tried to get in to the Dome of the Rock. As had happened on the first day, the Israeli guards refused entry to any non-Muslims. They claim they are upholding the orders of the caretakers inside – even though one was standing there inviting us in. Yet another form of isolation and exclusion, although this one is being cleverly disguised as Islamic xenophobia. As a result every western tourist is shepherded towards the (newly named) Western Wall and kept away from the splendour and calm of the Haram.

Then to the final event. After the quieter night in Bethlehem it was great to see the Palestinian National Theatre packed to the rafters. At last, we were joined by Raja Shehadeh – the Palestinian writer/lawyer just awarded the Orwell Prize for his book Palestinian Walks: Notes on a Vanishing Landscape – who read a lovely piece by an earlier author describing a walk in Galilee in 1948. Then the authors lined up to give us quick fire readings from other people’s work – among them Andy read from Joyce while Roddy gave us the opening of A Tale of Two Cities. Suheir Hammad chose not to read anything by another author but a collection of things she overheard over the last week – unsurprisingly, it was brilliant. After the first half of the authors we had “Yasmeen” a group from the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music on stage. And although their vocalist and oud player had been held at a checkpoint, the remaining four musicians played beautifully.

Then we had the last six authors up, joined by the actor Khalid Abdallah – who, very fittingly, read from Edward Said’s Culture and Imperialism. Hanan al-Shaykh read a letter from her father-in-Law, who was killed by Zionists ten days after it was sent. Then Yasmeen played once more before Ahdaf Soueif, visibly moved, got up to say the final thanks to everyone involved in making this the success it has been.

Next year in Jerusalem – and Gaza!