Rooney turns down an Israeli translation on political grounds
Sally Rooney has defended her decision not to sell the translation rights to her new book to an Israeli-based publishing house, saying she wants to express her solidarity with the "Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality".
The acclaimed Irish author, 30, said in a statement she felt unable to work with Modan, describingitasacompany"that doesnotpubliclydistanceitself fromapartheidandsupportthe Un-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people".
Her third novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You, was published in September and quickly became a bestseller in the UK and Ireland.
It centres on the romantic exploits of an award-winning Irishnovelistcalledalicekelleher and explores themes common throughout Rooney's writing including love, friendship and conflict surrounding social class.
Rooney's first two novels
- 2017's Conversations With Friends, and 2018's Normal People - were both published in Hebrew by Modan.
The writer said in a statement she was "very proud" to have had her previous two novels translated, but for now she had "chosen not to sell these translation rights to an Israeli-based publishing house".
Rooney also expressed support for the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a Palestinian-led movementpromotingboycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. She said: "Of course, many states other than Israel are guilty of grievous human rights abuses. Thiswasalsotrueofsouthafricaduringthecampaignagainst apartheid there.
"In this particular case, I am respondingtothecallfrompalestinian civil society, including all major Palestinian trade unions and writers' unions."
In May, Rooney joined hundreds of writer and artists in signingaletteragainstapartheid,whichcalledfor"animmediate and unconditional cessation of Israeli violence against Palestinians". Author Naomi Klein and singer Mykki Blanco were also among the signatories.
Thepalestiniancampaignfor theacademicandculturalboycott of Israel (Pacbi), said: "We note with pride the historic solidarity expressed by Irish cultural figures with the Palestinianstruggleforfreedom,justice and equality.”