In the midst of a period when books were banned due to the ultra-conservative offensive, the award of letters, presented every year in the United States with the National Book Awards, was additionally censored in its call for 2023: the withdrawal of two sponsors due to the foreseeable politicization of the gala. Two editorials announced on the eve of the ceremony warned that some finalists in the various categories of the award, the most prestigious in the United States, would use the stage to condemn Israel’s offensive on Gaza and call for a ceasefire the night of this Wednesday in New York, who withdrew their sponsorship. Three finalists in this year’s competition were Muslim Americans.
One of the sponsors is the Jewish publisher Zibby Books, which announced its decision on Tuesday. His manager explained on a social network that a “source” had warned him that “the nominees for the awards have collectively decided to use the moment of speeches to promote a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel agenda.” In fact, some nominees confirmed their intention to talk about politics in the party. “In the future, I don’t want to look back and say I stayed silent while people [en Gaza] I suffered,” said writer Aaliyah Bilal, a finalist in the fiction category, the day before. In his first book, “Temple Folk,” Bilal examines the history of African-American Muslims based on his family’s experiences in the Nation of Islam, a group that many consider to represent African-American suprematism. His book, published by Simon & Schuster, has the Islamic crescent and star on the cover.
A day later, at the awards ceremony, Bilal took the microphone from Justin Torres, winner in the fiction category for his second novel, “Blackouts,” to read a carefully worded statement as more than a dozen finalists flanked her. The content of the statement was more than precise, it was homeopathic: “We reject the current bombing of Gaza and call for a humanitarian ceasefire to address the urgent humanitarian needs of the Palestinian civilian population, especially children,” the said Author. “We are equally opposed to anti-Semitism, anti-Palestinian sentiment and Islamophobia and accept the human dignity of all parties.” Knowing that more bloodshed will not ensure lasting peace in the region.”
The National Book Foundation, organizer of the prize, sent a message Tuesday to all sponsors and those who bought tickets to the gala, warning them that the winners would likely make political statements from the podium. “This is by no means unprecedented in the history of the National Book Awards or any awards ceremony, but given the extraordinarily painful time we find ourselves in, we thought it best to contact you if you have any questions or concerns,” Ruth Dickey , executive director of the foundation, wrote to sponsors and participants. Dickey referenced precedents such as 2016, when Donald Trump had just been elected president of the United States and fiction category winner Colson Whitehead criticized the “fucking hellish wasteland of Trumplandia.” In recent years, the galas have been characterized by criticism of the treatment of migrants and the lack of diversity in the publishing industry.
At a gala that featured distinguished attendees such as popular communicator Oprah Winfrey, singer Dua Lipa and the versatile Trevor Noah to present two awards, the celebration of literature was thus overshadowed by, or rather, for, the spirit of Gaza Possibility of any anti-Semitic statements. The event, which is the industry’s annual showcase, was almost shelved amid fears that freedom of expression would lead to censorship. In total, the publishers presented 1,931 books, of which almost half a thousand (496) were in the fiction category, 638 in the non-fiction category, 295 poetry collections, 154 titles in the competition for the best translation and 348 in the youth literature category. Five titles for each category.
Aaliyah Bilal, arriving at the ceremony. Associated Press/LaPresse (APN)
Among the non-fiction finalists were Mexican Cristina Rivera Garza’s book about her sister’s femicide (Liliana’s Invincible Summer, published in Spanish by Random House) and a tense family memoir in the middle of the war between Israel and Hamas, written by the Palestinian lawyer and Human rights activist Raja Shehadeh, with English subtitle A Palestinian Memory. Finally, American historian Ned Blackhawk won this category for his book “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Destruction of American History.” In the poetry category, Craig Santos Pérez, also an American, won for his work in the non-community field. [åmot]. In translated literature, the prize winner went to the Brazilian Stênio Gardel for “The Words That Remain”. And in young adult literature, the American Dan Santat for A First Time for Everything.
One of the finalist books in children’s literature was a story about Muslim women and girls by fellow Muslim illustrator Huda Fahmy. The cover shows a mother and her daughters wearing the obligatory veil. Too many coincidences at a time when the noise shaking college campuses, the streets and, increasingly, American public opinion – 66% of the population believes Washington should pressure Israel to reach a ceasefire – is reaching a crescendo .
The clamor therefore crept through the awards ceremony’s front door without the organization being able to do anything other than warn that “the decisions of the judges will be made independently of the staff and board of the National Book Foundation.” Deliberations are subject to the strictest confidentiality. An obvious way to improve your health, considering that the books by Bilal, Shehadeh and Fahmy are represented among the nominees. In the end, none of them won the prize, but their presence on the list was perceived as almost threatening, even if the final statement was not as threatening as expected.
The 2023 National Book Awards controversy joins a series of similar controversies waged by 92NY, a major cultural institution in the city. Artforum and various film and book festivals, where statements and criticism of Israel have provoked institutional reactions and sometimes dismissals and resignations. The Jewish-oriented 92NY Center canceled a dialogue at the end of October with the writer of Vietnamese origin Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the fine novel “The Sympathizer” (Seix Barral), after he signed an open letter that criticized Israel.
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