Acclaimed Novelist Sally Rooney alongside Nobel Laureate Annie Ernaux Join Writers Calling on French President Macron to Reinstate Gaza Writers Programme
Award-winning author Sally Rooney, Deborah Levy, Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, as well as Pulitzer winner Viet Thanh Nguyen form part of 20 authors urging France's leader Emmanuel Macron to resume a “lifeline” programme for Palestinian writers, scholars and artists in Gaza.
Initiative Halt Due to Alleged Remarks
The Pause programme for writers and artists facing crises, along with a academic rescue effort, were suddenly halted by the authorities in France in early August following a Palestinian student’s allegedly antisemitic social media posts—a decision that the petitioning writers said constituted a “group penalty”.
“In our capacity as authors, we strongly encourage you to reinstate this vital program without delay, and to call on global leaders to create similar programmes”, states the appeal, which was sent to Macron’s office on Friday.
Prominent Supporters
Additional supporters comprise Nobel laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah and JMG Le Clézio, along with Anne Enright, Leïla Slimani, Madeleine Thien, Édouard Louis, Isabella Hammad, Didier Eribon, Naomi Klein, Max Porter, Alain Damasio, Mathias Énard, Kapka Kassabova, Karim Kattan plus Rashid Khalidi.
Initiative’s Origins
This assistance effort was established by the French government and the Collège de France in 2017 to help foreign researchers, scientists, intellectuals and artists who find themselves in emergency situations. It has since been used French talent visas and essential aid for individuals from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan among other nations.
Assistance to Palestinians
Following the outbreak of conflict in Gaza in late 2023, a total of 31 Gazan creatives, authors and academics and their families have been granted refuge in France via these evacuation initiatives.
Government Response
Yet, on 1 August, top diplomat Jean-Noël Barrot announced that “no evacuation of any kind” would proceed while authorities were investigating disputed anti-Jewish comments posted by a female student who had entered the country from Gaza in July and was scheduled to begin classes at a French institute this fall.
“The halting of rescue efforts because of one case of a racist social media post is a form of collective punishment at a time when all parties bound by the international genocide laws should be making every effort to protect Gazans from annihilation and must avoid involvement in crimes against humanity”, the appeal addressed to Macron states.
