500 Publishers Call on Frankfurt Book Fair to Cut Ties with Israel

Publishers for Palestine urge Frankfurt Book Fair to denounce Israel’s actions in Gaza, calling for stronger support of Palestinian writers and culture.

on Sep 26, 2024

A coalition known as Publishers for Palestine, representing over 500 publishers across 50 countries, has sent an open letter to the Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest book trade event globally, urging the organizers to “denounce Israel’s targeting of Gaza’s writers, students, and cultural institutions” during its upcoming event scheduled for October 16-20, which anticipates over 200,000 attendees.

In a statement released yesterday, the coalition outlined four main demands aimed at the Book Fair: to condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocidal, to refuse collaboration with Israeli publishers involved in these actions, to acknowledge and denounce the attacks on Palestinian cultural figures, and to promote Palestinian narratives prominently at the event.

The letter also referenced the cancellation of Palestinian novelist Adania Shibli’s award ceremony last October and the Fair’s commitment to increasing Israeli programming despite growing concerns about Israel’s actions in Gaza. This stance contrasts sharply with the fair's prior ban on Russian participation following the invasion of Ukraine.

Amid the heightened tensions surrounding this year’s Fair, organizers have announced increased police presence during the event.