Acclaimed Novelist Sally Rooney and Annie Ernaux Among Authors Calling on French President Macron to Reinstate Palestinian Writers Programme
Sally Rooney, Deborah Levy, Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, and Pulitzer recipient Viet Thanh Nguyen are among a group of twenty writers urging France's leader Emmanuel Macron to reinstate a critical evacuation initiative for Gazan authors, academics and artists in Gaza.
Initiative Halt Due to Alleged Remarks
An emergency support scheme for authors and creatives in emergency situations, as well as a student evacuation programme, were suddenly halted by the authorities in France at the beginning of August following a Gazan scholar’s reportedly hateful online remarks—an action that the petitioning writers described as constituted a “collective punishment”.
“In our capacity as authors, we strongly encourage you to restore this lifeline as soon as possible, and to urge global leaders to create similar programmes”, states the appeal, delivered to Macron’s office recently.
Notable Signatories
Additional supporters include Nobel winners 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.
Background of the Programme
The Pause programme was established by the French government in partnership with the prestigious academic institution in 2017 to support international scholars, scientists, thinkers and cultural figures who find themselves in dangerous conditions. The program has provided French talent visas and practical support for people from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan among other nations.
Assistance to Palestinians
Following the outbreak of conflict in Gaza in October 2023, a group of thirty-one Gazan creatives, writers and academics along with relatives have been sheltered in France through these evacuation initiatives.
Official Reaction
Yet, on 1 August, top diplomat Jean-Noël Barrot announced that “all rescue operations” would continue while authorities were investigating disputed anti-Jewish comments shared by a female student who had entered the country from Gaza in July and was scheduled to begin classes at Sciences Po Lille University in the autumn.
“The halting of evacuation programmes because of one case involving offensive online content 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 atrocities”, the letter addressed to Macron states.
