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The first International Writers Festival is scheduled to take place 11-15 May 2008 in Jerusalem, just three days after Israel’s official celebrations of 60 years of independence.

Local and international activists have been active in urging a boycott of the International Writers’ Festival in Jerusalem, slated for 11-15 May, particularly by the distinguished international writers scheduled to participate in this event.

As previously noted, it is not possible that Israel continues to deny the human and national rights of the Palestinian people, to impose a deadly siege on the Gaza Strip and publicly flaunt its international political commitments by building additional settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, while its authors and cultural figures are honored with visits by distinguished international authors. Israeli society must be told loudly and clearly that it cannot act with complete impunity toward the Palestinian people and still enjoy privileges and honors of a law-abiding state.

Given that most Israeli authors and other cultural figures have deep concern for the opinions of and working relationships with international authors, this boycott can potentially make a substantial impact within Israeli society.

The Alternative Information Center calls on activists to continue contacting the authors scheduled to participate and urge them to cancel their participation in solidarity and support for a just peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

Contact information for authors; if you have additional information or have received a response from any of the participating authors, please let us know so we can update others:  

Nadine Gordimer: May be contacted via her publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing (Telephone: +44 (20) 7494 2111; Postal address: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 36 Soho Square, London W1D 3QY).

British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) has issued a public appeal to Ms. Gordimer, which appeared in the South African Weekly Mail & Guardian. Ms. Gordimer stated that she would comment on this letter upon her return home from a working trip.

American author Russell Banks, who visited the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2002 and met with Palestinian author Mahmoud Darwish, who was under siege, may be contacted on:   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Anita Diamant may be contacted via her representative, the B’nai B’rith Lecture Bureau, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, 212-490-1170, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Nathan Englander may be contacted via his booking agency, Sloane Crosley, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel: 001-212-572-2016.

Jonathan Safran Foer may be contacted on: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Javier Cercas: Red Solidarida contra la Ocupación de Palestina has written to Javier Cercas, requesting that he not participate in the festival.