Publishers for Palestine Statement of Solidarity

November 3, 2023

We invite publishers, and those who work in publishing industries around the world who stand for justice, freedom of expression, and the power of the written word, to sign this letter and join our global solidarity collective, Publishers for Palestine.

We honour the courage, creativity, and resistance of Palestinians, their profound love of their historic lands, and their refusal to be erased, or grow silent, despite Israel’s horrific genocidal acts of violence. Against the chilling complicity of Western media and cultural industries, we find hope sparked by the surge of bodies and voices that continue to gather, write, speak, sing, combat falsehoods, and build community and solidarity across social media and on our streets, across the world.

Over the past month, we have witnessed Israel’s incessant bombardment of Gaza as a form of collective punishment, using banned phosphorous bombs and unusual new weapons, with the support of governments in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Europe and Australia. We have watched 1.1 million Palestinians flee their homes in the north, only to experience the brutal destruction of hospitals and spaces of shelter in schools, refugee camps, churches, and mosques in the south of Gaza. We are currently witnessing 2.3 million people, of whom 50% are children, being cruelly denied basic necessities of shelter, food, water, fuel, and electricity as Israel launches a ground invasion. Over 9,000 Palestinians have been killed thus far, along with entire generations of families that fled to Gaza during the Nakba of 1948. And with unbearable grief, we have watched Israel’s horrific killing of over 3,500 children. As Raz Segal, a Jewish scholar of Holocaust and genocide states: “Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza is quite explicit, open, and unashamed.”

Israel and Western powers are making a concerted attempt to extinguish dissent and maintain their faltering control. Across the publishing and media landscape since October 7th, 2023, the reprisals for speaking out have already been severe and extensive. We decry the killing of dozens of journalists in Gaza, including Mohamed Fayez Abu Matar, Saeed al-Taweel, Mohammed Sobh, Hisham Alnwajha, Mohammad Al-Salhi, Mohammad Jarghoun, Ahmed Shehab, Husam Mubarak, Mohammad Balousha, Issam Bhar, Salam Mema, Assaad Shamlakh, Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi, Khalil Abu Aathra, Sameeh Al-Nady, Abdulhadi Habib, Yousef Maher Dawas, and Roshdi Sarraj.

As cultural workers who pay careful attention to words and language, we note that this genocide was inaugurated with Israeli occupation military leaders using words such as “human animal” to justify their attacks on the civilians of Gaza. It is shocking to observe the use of such dehumanizing language from a people who have themselves experienced the same in the context of genocide. We are also reminded of the language of erasure and genocide embedded in the Zionist (and Christian) mythology of “A land without a people for a people without a land,” enacted by colonial Britain’s Balfour Declaration 106 years ago on November 2, 1917.

These histories of white supremacist, colonial, and capitalist systems of erasure, extraction, and control are reflected in the current moment, even within the rarefied worlds of arts and culture. From the Frankfurt Book Fair/Litprom’s refusal to honour the award given to Palestinian author Adania Shibli (a letter of protest against this was signed by over 1,000 well-known writers), to the cancellation of author readings such Viet Thanh Nguyen at New York’s 92Y, and Mohammed el-Kurd at the University of Vermont, and the recent firing of David Velasco, the editor of Artforum magazine, Western literary and publishing organizations have revealed their deep imbrication in U.S. and Israeli political and economic interests by silencing and punishing writers who speak out for Palestine.

We condemn the complicity of all those working within corporate and independent publishing who enable or condone such repression through their cowardice, silence, and cooperation with the demands of Israeli occupation and imperialist donors, funders, and governments. We condemn the policing and censorship of writers, the bullying and harassment of bookstore owners and staff, and the intimidation of publishing workers who are in solidarity with Palestinians. Publishing, for us, is the exercise of freedom, cultural expression, and resistance. As publishers we are dedicated to creating spaces for creative and critical Palestinian voices and for all who stand in solidarity against imperialism, Zionism, and settler-colonialism. We defend our right to publish, edit, distribute, share, and debate works that call for Palestinian liberation without recrimination. We know that this is our role in the resistance.

The silencing of Palestinian authors and writers only reinforces a fear of Palestinian literary resistance and contributes to the genocide of Palestinians and land theft. The same fear that is behind the bombs, the demolitions, the abductions, and the torture of Palestinian prisoners, is the fear that holds the Palestinian archives in Israeli control. As the writer Ghassan Kanafani said, “the Palestinian cause is not a cause for Palestinians only, but a cause for every revolutionary.” He reminds us that none of us are free until all of us are free.

Now is the time to stand with Palestinians and step into a new era of anti-colonial resistance– an era that refuses the Oslo concessions and the normalization of ties with the Zionist state. Now is the time to remember and uphold other historical victories against settler-colonial

regimes, such as the resistance that rid Algeria of its French colonizers. Now is the time to intensify our support for Palestinian liberation from Israel and its U.S. and European backers. Now is the time to build solidarity amongst us to collectively refuse intimidation, repression, fear, and violence.

We call on our comrades, friends, and colleagues across various publishing industries to sign this letter and support the following demands:

• Stop the genocide and bring an end to all violence against Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, across historic Palestine, and in the diaspora.
• Hold Israel and its allies accountable for the war crimes they have committed.
• Assert the demands of Palestinian people to freedom, resistance, and return.
• Uphold the call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israeli apartheid.
• Assure that Palestinian voices should not be silenced from future international book fairsand literary festivals across the world. Instead, they should be invited as guests ofhonour to share their stories.
• Commit to making the publishing industry a genuine site of learning and freedom of speech. As publishers we are dedicated to creating spaces for Palestinian voices and those who stand in solidarity against the war machine.

If you work in the publishing industry and would like to add your name to this statement, please fill out this form.

Signed by:

AK Press, US & UK

Apostroph, Catalunya, Spain

ArabLit Quarterly and ArabLit Books, Morocco

ARP Books, Canada

Arsenal Pulp Press, Canada

Between the Lines, Canada

Beyond the Pale Books, Ireland

Charles H. Kerr Publishing, US

Common Notions Press, US

Daraja Press, Canada

Écosociété, Québec, Canada & France

Editions du remue-menage, Québec, Canada

En Toutes Lettres, Morocco

Essay Press, US

La fabrique éditions, France

Fernwood Publishing, Canada

Hajar Press, UK

Haymarket Books, US & UK

Interlink Publishing, US

Interventions, Australia

Invisible Publishing, Canada

Left Book Club, UK

LeftWord Books, India

Lux Éditeur, Québec & France

Manifest Llibres, Catalunya, Spain

Marjin Kiri, Indonesia

Mémoire d’encrier, Québec, Canada 

Microcosm Publishing, US

OR Books, US

Pasado y Presente, Catalunya, Spain

Pluto Press, UK & US

Pluto Journals, Ltd., UK

PM Press, US & UK

Radical Books Collective, US

Roam Agency, US

Saqi Books, UK

Setu Prakashani, India

Stree Samya, India

Tilted Axis, UK

trace press, Canada

Tulika Books, India

Upping the Anti, Canada

Verso Books, US and UK

Verso Libros, Catalunya, Spain

Women Unlimited, India

Ketebe Publishing, Turkey

Out-Spoken Press, UK

dpr-barcelona, Catalunya, Spain

Seven Stories Press, US

The Hobbyhorse, US

Zand Press, Nairobi

Canadian Dimension, Canada

Shed publishing, France

Monthly Review, US

Communis Press, US

Tajfuny, Poland

Small Beer Press, US

Uitgeverij EPO, Belgium

Sin Permiso, Spain

CounterPunch, US

Sambasivan & Parikh, US

Pinhole Poetry, Canada

Assembly Press, Canada

Penerbit Anagram, Indonesia

Tanah Air Beta, Indonesia

POST Press, Indonesia

Bamboe Roentjing, Indonesia

Intensif Books, Indonesia

Basanti Press, India

Labirin Buku, Indonesia

Pustaka Bahamut, Indonesia

Svara, Malaysia

Puan Catra, Indonesia

Buku Fixi, Malaysia

Rotasi Books, Indonesia

Penerbit Buruan & Co., Indonesia

Yayasan Bentala, Indonesia

Penerbit Terang, Indonesia

Enggang Media Publisher, Indonesia

Ilhambookstore, Indonesia

Renard Press, UK

Entypois Publications, Greece

Zuka Books, Pakistan

Dalam dekapan cinta dan pembebasan, Indonesia

Fernwood Press, US

Three Essays Collective, India

Mascara Publishing, Australia

Cipher Press, UK

Antinomi, Indonesia

Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, Tanzania

Peninsula Press, UK

Edisi Mori, Indonesia

Editora Terra sem Amos, Brazil

Taipa Editorial, Brazil

Surrey Muse Arts Society, Canada

Grieveland, US

Bookmarks , UK

Anarasa, Indonesia

Vita Books, Kenya

BULANDU Publisher, Indonesia

Open Protest Network, UK

Arc Poetry Magazine, Canada

Sigikata, Indonesia

Penerbit Cerita Kata, Indonesia

Black Goddexx press, US

Pro You media, Indonesia

404 Ink, UK

Panitia Jumaahan, Indonesia

ContraEscritura, Spain

Rachna Books & Publications, India

Založba /*cf., Slovenia

Kedai Hitam Putih, Malaysia

Litani Literasi, Indonesia

The 87 Press, UK

IS Editora, Brazil

Cassava Republic Press, Nigeria & UK

Editora Faísca , Brazil

HOMEF books, Nigeria

Fahamu Africa, Senegal

Katarsis, Indonesia

Perpustakaan Online Genosida 1965-1966, Indonesia

Penerbit Partikular, Indonesia

Blaft Publications, India

Dahlia Books, UK

Pustakapedia, Indonesia

Turos Pustaka, Indonesia

Footnote Press, Indonesia

Divan Kitap, Turkey

Babil Kitap, Turkey

BPPM Balairung UGM, Indonesia

OWN IT!, UK

Les Pages Noires, Canada

Carnation Zine, Canada

Spectre Journal, US

Saffron Press, Canada

Penerbit Pelangi Sastra, Indonesia

Penerbit Shofia, Indonesia

Gantala Press, Philippines

Litwin Books, US

El Viejo Topo, Spain

Edicions del 1979, Catalunya

Icaria Editorial, Spain

Menino Morreu, Coruña, Galiza

Anti-Racism Daily, US

Skein Press, Ireland

Wasafiri Magazine, UK

Cyhoeddiadau’r Stamp, Wales

Editorial Imperdible, Spain

Edicions de la Ela Geminada, Spain

Librarie Saint-Henri Books, Canada

Kube Publishing, UK

Kimpa Vita Press & Publishers, Norway

Perspectives on Anarchist Theory, US

Diari Foll, Spain

Bentang Pustaka, Indonesia

Foundling Productions, UK

RDT_28 INSTITUTE, Indonesia

Midnight Sun Magazine, Canada

Book Works, UK

Brook , France

Editorial Traficantes de Sueños, Spain

Éditions Burn~Août, France

Capitán Swing Libros, Spain

Renebook, Indonesia

Éditions Hourra, France

On ne compte pas pour du beurre, France

Fomite Press, US

Post Fire Books, France

éditions trouble, France

Metonymy Press, Canada

Templando el acero, Spain

House House Press, Canada

Hors d’atteinte, France

Hungry Zine, Canada

Wendy’s Subway, US

Eyelevel Artist-Run Centre and Bookstore, Canada

Éditions Triptyque, Québec, Canada 

Bell Press, Canada

Hyphen, India

Radiant Press, Canada

Sinar Djaman, Indonesia

Noelia Gonzalez Barrancos, Andalusia, Spain

Magazine Ictus, France

Orciny Press, Spain

Knight Errant Press, Scotland

Les Editions Jimsaan, Sénégal

Peninsula Press, UK

Tumbalacasa Ediciones , México

Barddas, Cymru/Wales

Makina Books , UK

Silver Press, UK

Ignota Books, UK

La Garúa Poesía, Spain

Metatron Press, Canada

Cwmni Cara Cyf, Cymru/Wales

Art Metropole, Canada

Pink Asparagus, Canada

Book Works, UK

Sublunary Editions, US

Broken Sleep Books , UK

Repeater Books & Zer0 Books, UK

Groupe Nota bene, Canada

The Polyglot, Canada

Monitor Books, UK

Suspended Magazine , US

Bauma editorial/imprenta, Spain

Game Over Books, US

Party Trick Press, Canada

Navayana, India

Profil Kitap, Turkey

Editorial la Felguera, Spain

Strange Region Press, UK

Kawah Buku, Malaysia

CivicLeicester, UK

consonni, Basque Country

Sneha Publishers, India

Sad Press, UK

Her Stories Foundation , India

Butterfly Books, India

Gorse journal, Ireland

TIMBER Journal, US

Tramp Press, Ireland

Baraka Books, Québec, Canada

Page Not Found, The Netherlands

Now Cactus Press, US

Favila Editorial, Colombia

The Colleagues’ Publications, Greece

Rachel Parish Editing, US

Errant Journal, Amsterdam/Berlin

Floarea Indexing, US

Virus Editorial, Spain

Maa Press, Canada

Taba Yensu Press, Canada & Namibia

The Patriots, Malaysia

Self Group Collective, US

Editora Trinta Zero Nove, Mozambique

Textile Magazine, Canada

D Editore, Italy

Bulut Publishing House, Turkey

Ameena Gafoor Institute, UK

Playwrights Canada Press, Canada

Waziz Books, Egypt

Black Freighter Press, US

Livraria Leonardo da Vinci, Brazil

Big black mountain the darkness never ever comes, Greece

The Public Source, Lebanon

Book*hug Press, Canada

Locked Horn Press, US

Sampaguita Press, US

Folio Books, Pakistan

Maktaba e Danyal, Pakistan

Spiral Editions, US

Umi to Tsuki sha, Japan

Bulak Neşriyat, Turkey

H Publishing, Turkey

Endülüs Yayınları, Turkey

Radiator Press, US

Octana Books, Greece

Intrinsic Coat, US

Flatpack Publications, US

Ursus Americanus Press, US

Beautiful Days Press, US

Harpoon Books, US

fifth wheel press, US

Astringent Press, US

Spirit Bound Press , US

Pilot Press, UK

Adjunct Press, US

TWAIL Review, Colombia

Fox Chapel Publishing, US

Generous Press, US

Ethel Zine & Micro Press, US

auric press, US

Profil Kitap, Turkey

Yeditepe Yayınevi, Turkey

Ghost Proposal, US

Çizgi Kitabevi, Turkey

O’r Pedwar Gwynt, Cymru/Wales

Kadim Publishing, Turkey

Matbuat – İyidüşün Publishing, Turkey

Vulgus Publishing, Turkey

A/synechia (Α/συνέχεια), Greece

Freda Press, Canada

Lausan Magazine, US/Hong Kong

For the Birds Trapped in Airports, US

Mythic Roads Press, Canada

Glacehouse Books LLC, US

flo. Literary Magazine, Canada

Raven and Rogue, US

Chintha Publishers, India

The Devastator, US

Peepal Tree Press, UK

Alejandra Mejia, US

qui parle, US

Whit Pres, US

Other Press, US

Ediciones Akal, Spain

Tutkijaliitto, Finland

Luciole/Playtime Publishers, South Korea

1000contra Infoshop, Brazil

ReOrient , UK

Ellie Anderson, US

The Operating System / Liminal Lab, Lenapehoking

Montréal Serai, Québec, Canada

Varun’s Worklab, India

Ethos Books, Singapore

Scorched Earth Press, US

Institute of Policy Studies Press, Pakistan

Policy Perspectives, Pakistan

Eye Visuals Pty Ltd, Australia

Hate zine, UK

Kersplebedeb, Canada

Éditions de la rue Dorion, Canada

Science for the People, US

Journal of Global Faultlines, UK

Arab Studies Quarterly, US

Prometheus Journal, UK

Diversity Studies, South Africa

Bethlehem University Journal, Palestine

Islamophobia Journal, US

Journal of Indentureship and its Legacies, UK

Michael Wiegers, US

Everybody Press, US

Lakeer, Pakistan

E Media Publication SB, Malaysia

Penerbit USM (USM Press), Malaysia

Tentang Kita, Malaysia

Secondthesis, South Korea

Mati Books, South Korea

Briarpatch Magazine, Canada

Acid Horizon, US & UK

Science Fiction Writers Union of Korea, South Korea

Magic Mongrel Publishers, India

L’échelle du temple, éditeur, France

The87press, UK

Éditions de la Pleine Lune, Québec, Canada

Centro Social, Librería y Editorial Proyección, Chile

Współbycie, Poland

Jamhoor, Canada

Fundacja Bęc Zmiana, Poland

Khaos Publishing, Finland

Àla Books and Authors, Pakistan

Utu Press, Finland

Vita nuova, Finland

Bilal Books, Singapore

Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore, Italy

Éditions le passager clandestin , France

Mahrousa Center for publishing, Information & Press services, Egypt

Beehive Books, US

State Crime Journal, UK

Chaekgalpi Publishing Co., South Korea

Rollercoaster Press, South Korea

IDEA Book Publishing,​​ South Korea

Huud, South Korea

frACTalia Press, Romania

Buffalo Berry Press/BlackFlash Magazine, Canada

Gap Riot Press, Canada

Swimming with the whales, Egypt

Left of the Equator Press, Aotearoa New Zealand

Cooperativa editorial Heredad, Mexico

Runografi, Finland

Brick Books, Canada

Lawrence and Gibson publishing collective, Aotearoa New Zealand

Weavers Press, US

Mizan Publishing, Indonesia

Snow lit rev / Allardyce, Barnett, Publishers, UK

دار توبقال , المغرب

Entypois Publications, Greece

Éditions d’en bas, Switzerland

Éditions Clinamen, Switzerland

Sefsafa Publishing , Egypt

A certain book, South Korea

Cinnamon Press, UK

Nagarghata, India

Hamilton Review of Books, Canada

祥伝社, 日本 (Japan)

Etc.books, Japan

Irregular Rhythm Asylum, Japan

Sticky Fingers Publishing, UK

皓星社, 日本 (Japan)

Nagaihiru, Japan

Kedai Boekoe, Indonesia

Pustaka Catut, Indonesia

Hanatabasyobo, Japan

Tababooks, Japan

Red Letter Press , US

Satoyamasha, Japan

Buku Peledak, Indonesia

TLTRPReß , Germany

株式会社 皓星社／Kosseisha Co.,Ltd, Japan

Kaótica Libros, Spain

EI Mainoksia, Kiitos!, Finland

NO NIIN Magazine, Finland

Boitempo, Brazil

Columbia Books on Architecture and the City, US

The Avery Review, US

Cicada Editora, Chile

Cabaca.id, Indonesia

Yayasan Cahyaloka, Indonesia

Rene Islam, Indonesia

Red Flag Books, Australia

Thread Makes Blanket press, US

Veritas Press, US

Everything’s Fine, Philippines

L’Oie de Cravan, Canada

On Our Own Authority!, US

Yohakusha, Japan

Dar Al Saqi, Lebanon

House Sparrow Press, UK

Anamot Press, UK

Smokestack Books, UK

The Skasiarheio, Greece

Archive Books, Germany, Italy, Senegal

Channel, Ireland

CIRA-JAPAN, Japan

Modjaji Books, South Africa

Tradewind Books, ​​Canada

Small Tune Press, Hong Kong and UK

Really Rather Wild Books Ltd, UK

Parisal Putthaga nilayam, India

MS Books Editions, France

South/South Movement, transnational movement for academics and activists

Kweli Journal, US

Isang Balangay Media Productions (Balangay Books), Philippines

Lomboy Press, Philippines

SINK Magazine, UK

Torre de Babel Ediciones, México

Mutante Editores, Chile

Poetry Birmingham , UK

Las Repúblicas de lo Salvaje, México

Cormorán Ediciones , Chile

Editorial Tempestades, Chile

Cosmic Dog House Press, US

Diálogos do Sul, Brazil

Comma Press

Child’s Play (International) Ltd., UK

CHEERIO Publishing, UK

SRL Publishing , UK

Osmosis Press, UK

Kwago Publishing Lab, Philippines

Faction Press, Singapore

DYB Publishing, US

UQP, Australia

Resistance Books , UK

Sundog Lit, US

paper cameras press, US

Alhadaek, Lebanon

Olive Branch Fair Trade, US

Nasusatoyamasya Co. Ltd., Japan

Sanwa Shoseki Co. Ltd., Japan

Koshisha, Japan

VOICE MALE Magazine, US

Paradigm City Publishing Limited, Nigeria

Bent Key Publishing, UK

Al Karma Publishers, Egypt

Riot of Roses Publishing House, US

The Sunflower Collective, India

Hinton Publishing, US

Ugly Duckling Presse, US

Drawn & Quarterly, Canada

1804 Books, US

Rocky Mountain Books, Canada

Mister Magazine, US

Interzone, Poland

Desert Rose Literary Magazine, UK

Row House Publishing, US

Al Salwa Publishers, Jordan

Diode Editions and Diode Poetry Journal, Qatar and US

A Cloak Called Sumud: The Posterity Alliance, US

Büyüyenay Publishing, Turkey

BlueBird Anthology, UK

AJAR Press, Vietnam

SICK magazine, US and UK

Inverted Syntax Press, US

Polari Press, UK

How To Be Books, UK

Crescent Books, US

Good Rain Publishing, US

Sliced Up Press, UK

Utopia libri, Czechia

53rd State Press, US

Girl God Books, Norway

Kitchen Table Magazine, US

Tigre de Paper, Catalonia, Spain

Bellaterra Edicions, Catalonia, Spain

Prism Press Books, G44, US

Shapeless Press, US

Shabda Press, US

Girls and Queers to the Front, Poland

El Maraya for Culture and Arts, Egypt

Updated April 17, 2024.