Publishers for Palestine, a coalition of more than 350 publishers from around the world, has organized a weeklong campaign called #ReadPalestine, running November 29–December 5, during which participating publishers are offering free e-books by Palestinian authors and about Palestinian history and culture.
More than 30 e-books are free to download throughout #ReadPalestine week, timed to coincide with the U.N.'s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The titles include fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and are available in eight languages. Among the titles on offer are Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear by poet Mosab Abu Toha (City Lights Books), Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer by journalist Phyllis Bennis (Interlink Books), and Hamas: From Resistance to Regime by historian Paola Caridi and translated by Andrea Teti (Seven Stories Press). The full list of free e-books on offer can be found here.
The campaign encourages indie bookstores and libraries to participate in #ReadPalestine week through book displays and social media posts, and for readers to share their favorite books by Palestinian authors and about Palestine with the hashtag #ReadPalestine.
Publishers for Palestine was established earlier this month, publishing a statement of solidarity on November 3. The letter called for "an end to all violence against Palestinian people" and invited "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."
There are 74 U.S. publishers among the letter's signatories, including AK Press, Interlink Books, Haymarket Books, Microcosm Publishing, OR Books, Other Press, Seven Stories Press, and Verso Books. Signatories also include publishers based in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Finland, France, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, Pakistan, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the U.K.
"Publishing, for us, is the exercise of freedom, cultural expression, and resistance," the letter continued. "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."
