The organizers of a German literary prize are under fire after they reversed their decision to honor British author Kamila Shamsie over her support for boycotting Israel, the Guardian reports.
Shamsie, author of several acclaimed novels including Salt and Saffron, Broken Verses and Home Fire, had been selected by the city of Dortmund, Germany, to receive the biennial Nelly Sachs Prize.
But the jury behind the prize decided to withdraw Shamsie’s award after learning that Shamsie is an advocate of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS), a campaign that urges people to boycott Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.
The literary prize, named after the German Nobel Prize-winning poet, is meant to honor writers who promote “tolerance and reconciliation,” according to the Guardian.
“Shamsie’s political positioning to actively participate in the cultural boycott as part of the BDS campaign … is clearly in contradiction to the statutory objectives of the award,” the award jury said in a statement.
In an open letter in the London Review of Books, scores of authors protested the jury’s decision, writing, “What is the meaning of a literary award that undermines the right to advocate for human rights, the principles of freedom of conscience and expression, and the freedom to criticize?”
Authors signing the letter included Naomi Shihab Nye, Michael Ondaatje, Sapphire, Colm Tóibín, Jeanette Winterson and Richard Ford.
Michael Schaub is an Austin, Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
