Sally Rooney amongst hundreds of authors boycotting Israeli Cultural Institutions

Sally Rooney is alongside hundreds of prominent international authors, who have signed an open letter pledging not to work with, "Israeli cultural institutions that are complicit or have remained silent observers of the overwhelming oppression of Palestinians.”

Author of Normal People, and latest novel Intermezzo, Rooney, has been vocal of her support for Palestinian rights. In 2021 the author refused to sell the Hebrew translation rights to an Israeli publishers, for her third novel Beautiful World, Where Are You. 

“We have a role to play. We cannot in good conscience engage with Israeli institutions without interrogating their relationship to apartheid and displacement,” the letter states.

Other writers included the list are, Jericho Brown, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Kaveh Akbar, Michelle Alexander, Naomi Klein, Téa Obreht, Peter Carey, Justin Torres Natalie Diaz, Mary Gaitskill, Hari Kunzru, Percival Everett Rachel Kushner, Jhumpa Lahiri, Raven Leilani and Susan Abulhawa.

“We, as writers, publishers, literary festival workers, and other book workers, publish this letter as we face the most profound moral, political and cultural crisis of the 21st century," the letter continues, "The overwhelming injustice faced by the Palestinians cannot be denied. The current war has entered our homes and pierced our hearts.”

The campaign was organised by the Palestine Festival of Literature, which brings free events in cities across Palestine. You can read the full letter here, where literary workers can also add their signature to the pledge.

Referencing the apartheid in South Africa, the letter notes that “countless authors” held the same views at that time, and calls for more literary workers to join them, “We call on our publishers, editors and agents to join us in taking a stand, in recognising our own involvement, our own moral responsibility and to stop engaging with the Israeli state and with complicit Israeli institutions.”

The boycott follows major actions in creative fields included in the BDS movement with hundreds of musicians including Pink Floyd and Lauryn Hill, pledging not to receive funding from Israeli ran institutions or to perform in Israel. Alongside this, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign features over 1500 signatures from Irish artists pledging to boycott Israeli cultural institutions.