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A statement from Publishers for Palestine calling for a ceasefire and denouncing repression of Palestinian solidarity.

3 November 2023

We invite publishers, editors, and writers 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, Publishers for Palestine.

We honour the courage, creativity, and resistance of Palestinians, their profound love of their historic lands, and their refusal to be erased, or grow silent, despite Israel’s horrific genocidal acts of violence. Against the chilling complicity of Western media and cultural industries, we find hope sparked by the surge of bodies and voices that continue to gather, write, speak, sing, combat falsehoods, and build community and solidarity across social media and on our streets, across the world.

Over the past month, we have witnessed Israel’s incessant bombardment of Gaza as a form of collective punishment, using banned phosphorous bombs and unusual new weapons, with the support of governments in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Europe, and Australia. We have watched 1.1 million Palestinians flee their homes in the north, only to experience the brutal destruction of hospitals and spaces of shelter in schools, refugee camps, churches, and mosques in the south of Gaza. We are currently witnessing 2.3 million people, of whom 50% are children, being cruelly denied basic necessities of shelter, food, water, fuel, and electricity as Israel launches a ground invasion. Over 9,000 Palestinians have been killed thus far, along with entire generations of families that fled to Gaza during the Nakba of 1948. And with unbearable grief, we have watched Israel’s horrific killing of over 3,500 children. As Raz Segal, a Jewish scholar of Holocaust and genocide states: “Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza is quite explicit, open, and unashamed.”

Israel and Western powers are making a concerted attempt to extinguish dissent and maintain their faltering control. Across the publishing and media landscape since October 7th, 2023, the reprisals for speaking out have already been severe and extensive. We decry the killing of dozens of journalists in Gaza, including Mohamed Fayez Abu Matar, Saeed al-Taweel, Mohammed Sobh, Hisham Alnwajha, Mohammad Al-Salhi, Mohammad Jarghoun, Ahmed Shehab, Husam Mubarak, Mohammad Balousha, Issam Bhar, Salam Mema, Assaad Shamlakh, Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi, Khalil Abu Aathra, Sameeh Al-Nady, Abdulhadi Habib, Yousef Maher Dawas, and Roshdi Sarraj.

As cultural workers who pay careful attention to words and language, we note that this genocide was inaugurated with Israeli occupation military leaders using words such as “human animal” to justify their attacks on the civilians of Gaza. It is shocking to observe the use of such dehumanizing language from a people who have themselves experienced the same in the context of genocide. We are also reminded of the language of erasure and genocide embedded in the Zionist (and Christian) mythology of “A land without a people for a people without a land,” enacted by colonial Britain’s Balfour Declaration 106 years ago on November 2, 1917.  

These histories of white supremacist, colonial, and capitalist systems of erasure, extraction, and control are reflected in the current moment, even within the rarefied worlds of arts and culture. From the Frankfurt Book Fair/Litprom’s refusal to honour the award given to Palestinian author Adania Shibli (a letter of protest against this was signed by over 1,000 well-known writers), to the cancellation of author readings such Viet Thanh Nguyen at New York’s 92Y, and Mohammed el-Kurd at the University of Vermont, and the recent firing of David Velasco, the editor of Artforum magazine, Western literary and publishing organizations have revealed their deep imbrication in U.S. and Israeli political and economic interests by silencing and punishing writers who speak out for Palestine.  

We condemn the complicity of all those working within corporate and independent publishing who enable or condone such repression through their cowardice, silence, and cooperation with the demands of Israeli occupation and imperialist donors, funders, and governments. We condemn the policing and censorship of writers, the bullying and harassment of bookstore owners and staff, and the intimidation of publishing workers who are in solidarity with Palestinians. Publishing, for us, is the exercise of freedom, cultural expression, and resistance. 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.

The silencing of Palestinian authors and writers only reinforces a fear of Palestinian literary resistance and contributes to the genocide of Palestinians and land theft. The same fear that is behind the bombs, the demolitions, the abductions, and the torture of Palestinian prisoners, is the fear that holds the Palestinian archives in Israeli control. As the writer Ghassan Kanafani said, “the Palestinian cause is not a cause for Palestinians only, but a cause for every revolutionary.” He reminds us that none of us are free until all of us are free. 

Now is the time to stand with Palestinians and step into a new era of anti-colonial resistance– an era that refuses the Oslo concessions and the normalization of ties with the Zionist state. Now is the time to remember and uphold other historical victories against settler-colonial regimes, such as the resistance that rid Algeria of its French colonizers. Now is the time to intensify our support for Palestinian liberation from Israel and its U.S. and European backers. Now is the time to build solidarity amongst us to collectively refuse intimidation, repression, fear, and violence. 

We call on our comrades, friends, and colleagues across various publishing industries to sign this letter and support the following demands:  

• Stop the genocide and bring an end to all violence against Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, across historic Palestine, and in the diaspora.
• Hold Israel and its allies accountable for the war crimes they have committed. 
• Assert the demands of Palestinian people to freedom, resistance, and return.
• Uphold the call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israeli apartheid. 
• Assure that Palestinian voices should not be silenced from future international book fairs and literary festivals across the world. Instead, they should be invited as guests of honour to share their stories.
• Commit to making the publishing industry a genuine site of learning and freedom of speech. As publishers we are dedicated to creating spaces for Palestinian voices and those who stand in solidarity against the war machine.

(If you would like to add your name to this statement, please fill out this form.)

Signed: 

ArabLit Quarterly and ArabLit Books, Morocco

ARP Books, Canada

Arsenal Pulp Press, Canada

Between the Lines, Canada

Beyond the Pale Books, Ireland

Charles H. Kerr Publishing, US

Common Notions Press, US

Daraja Press, Canada

Fernwood Publishing, Canada

Hajar Press, UK

Haymarket Books, US & UK

Interlink Publishing, US

Interventions, Australia

Invisible Publishing, Canada

Left Book Club, UK

LeftWord Books, India

Lux Éditeur, Québec & France

Manifest Llibres, Catalunya, Spain

Marjin Kiri, Indonesia

Pasado y Presente, Catalunya, Spain

Pluto Press, UK & US

Pluto Journals, Ltd., UK

PM Press, US & UK

Radical Books Collective, US

Roam Agency, US

Saqi Books, UK

Setu Prakashani, India

Stree Samya, India

Tilted Axis, UK

trace press, Canada

Upping the Anti, Canada

Verso Books, US and UK

Verso Libros, Catalunya, Spain

Women Unlimited, India

The world we see through the eyes of western mainstream media is only one world. There are others. That is why from day one, an important part of our mission is to introduce American readers to the unheard voices of leading women novelists from the Arab world.

August is Women in Translation Month. So if you are looking for great reads for escapism, learning, or entertainment?or all the above?you?ll find tremendous joy in reading these accomplished Arab women writers in English translation. Below are my top 10 recommended summer reads. 

Remember for the rest of the month of August, we are donating 30% of the proceeds from our sales of titles by Lebanese writers the Lebanese Food Bank for Lebanon disaster relief. Thank you for your support. Your purchases are helping us stay in operation during these challenging times.

Stay healthy and safe.

Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor

TOUCH
by Adania Shibli; Translated by Paula Haydar

An exquisite, powerful novella by celebrated Palestinian writer Adania Shibli that transports readers to her West Bank homeland. There is so much richness and beauty in this work. It has soul; it has rhythm; and cries for reading over and over again. When you’ve finished it, I highly recommend reading Adania?s second novel, We Are All Equally Far From Love. Adania Shibli?s signature style comes from holding back. The silence in both her novels builds an unnerving suspense.

  READ MORE 

THE WEIGHT OF PARADISE
by Iman Humaydan; translated by Michelle Hartman

This is the fourth novel by Lebanese novelist Iman Humaydan that Interlink has published. It is beautifully translated by Michelle Hartman. What is unique about Iman?s work is that it is concerned with the lives of women: their frustrations, fears, losses, struggles, hopes, desires, and victories. With skillful character development, her latest novel, The Weight of Paradise, tells how suitcase found in an old Beirut building changes one woman?s understanding of her city, her life, and the world at large.

 READ MORE 

AYA DANE
by Mhani Alaoui

Casablanca-based writer Mhani Alaoui?s debut novel Dreams of Maryam Tair blew me away when the manuscript arrived at my desk a few years ago. Her second novel, Aya Dane, will, in my view, secure her standing as literary talent who will go places in the world. Very different from the magic realism of her first novel, this is a vivid, engaging, and often suspenseful story about Aya, a woman, an immigrant, and an artist with a painful past from Tangiers living in seclusion at the top floor of Cambridge, MA townhouse. It is a riveting story that is filled with lyrical prose and psychological twists that leave a lasting impression. 

 READ MORE 

A SKY SO CLOSE TO US
by Shahla Ujayli; translated by Michelle Hartman

This is the third novel from outstanding Syrian novelist Shahla Ujaily and her first to be translated into English. It was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Set against the background of civil war and conflict in Syria, it is a moving story that brilliantly captures the refugee experience and thoughtfully maps where self, family, and country intersect. Her latest novel Summer with the Enemy, which was also shortlisted for the 2018 Arabic Booker, is forthcoming in November from Interlink. 

 READ MORE 

OH, SALAAM!
by Najwa Barakat; translated by Luke Leafgren

Najwa Barakat is a fearless journalist and novelist from Lebanon. She is a prominent voice in the Arab literary world and is known for addressing difficult issues with dark humor and gritty realism. Oh, Salaam! tells the story of three friends whose lives are transformed by their participation in an  inhuman civil war and by their relationship with the novel’s anti-heroine, Salaam. The intricately-woven plot is a page-turner even though readers may find the depictions of civil war, torture, oppressive gender roles, and sexual exploitation challenging to read. Sadly, they remain very relevant. 

 READ MORE 

SABRIYA: DAMASCUS BITTER SWEET
by Ulfat Idilbi; translated by Peter Clark

Born in Damascus in 1912, Ulfat Idilbi is a celebrated Syrian novelist with a passionate voice that is all her own. Her novel, Sabriya, is her most popular one and was dramatized for Syrian television. Written from the point of view of a young girl committed to the nationalist cause but unable to take an active part because of her sex, it seethes with the frustrated energy of the reluctant bystander and vividly expresses the terror of civilians living in a city rocked nightly by explosions. It is a haunting novel about the lives of women in 1920s Syria.

 READ MORE 

SHERAZADE
by Leila Sebbar

This is my favorite novel by Algerian writer Leila Sebbar. Sherazade is about a young woman haunted by her Algerian past. It is a powerful account of a person who searches for her true identity but is caught between worlds?Africa and Europe, her parents? and her own, colony and capital. It is a fresh, first-hand insight into the chaotic, marginalized lives of young, second-generation immigrants in a big city. Sebbar herself was born in Algeria to a French mother and an Algerian father, and having lived in Paris for many years, she straddles the two worlds between which her protagonist and other characters rotate. 

 READ MORE 

NINETY-NINTH FLOOR
by Jana Fawaz Elhassan; translated by Michelle Hartman

Jana Elhassan is an award-winning novelist and short story writer from Lebanon. The Ninety-Ninth Floor?shortlisted for the International Prize for International Fiction?is her third novel and the first to be translated into English. It received a rave review in the NY Times and a starred review in Library Journal. With Manhattan, Beirut, and Palestine as backdrops to this multi-voiced narration, The Ninety-Ninth Floor conveys the brutality that war leaves on the people who experience it. It is also a love story that asks questions about the ability of passion to overcome hatred and difference.

 READ MORE 

WILD THORNS
by Sahar Khalifeh
translated by Trevor LeGassick & Elizabeth Fernea

Sahar Khalifef is deserving of the title ?Virginia Wolf of Palestinian literature.? She is a prolific and highly accomplished writer, but I consider Wild Thorns, her very first novel written in Arabic in 1976, to be her best work. It vividly depicts life under Israel?s brutal occupation. It portrays the daily hazards and difficulties faced by Palestinian workers and evokes the irrepressible and indomitable spirit of Nablus and its people. I highly recommend this classic of Palestinian literature.

 READ MORE 

ALWAYS COCA-COLA: A NOVEL
by Alexandra Chreiteh; translated by Michelle Hartman

Alexandra Chreiteh is now a professor of comparative literature at Tufts University. She wrote Always Coca-Cola in Beirut when she was still a student in her late teens. When it was first published in Arabic, critics called it ?an electric shock.? It deals with the simmering tension between tradition and modernity as experienced by young middle-class Lebanese women. When I am asked for a one-sentence description, I often find myself saying that it is like Sex in the City?in Beirut. In short, it is a fun read?wonderful, head-shaking, humorous and sometimes sad journey through and around the forces menacing young women?s lives and bodies, in Lebanon and beyond.

 READ MORE 

Since its origins, Interlink?s mission is to publish important books by important writers from countries often underrepresented in the American literary landscape, in the hopes that we can begin to balance the unequal power structures that prioritize some voices over others, but also with the belief that reading these books fosters an interaction that enriches us all.

In this moment when we are all reflecting on imbalances in our society, we must consider the cultures and experiences behind the foods we love, and who is given the platform to represent them. As Interlink’s cookbook editor, it has been my great pleasure to focus on cookbooks that feature history, family stories, traditions, and location photography, in addition to their fantastic recipes. The books below are all deeply personal to their authors, who cook and write to represent their own cultures, honor their homelands, remember family members, share their countries and kitchens with strangers, and preserve their traditions for future generations.

Reading and cooking from these books not only enriches our tables, but gives us a personal encounter with the people and culture behind the food. Buying these books supports us and our writers, so that we can continue to publish these stories.

Thank you and stay well,
Leyla Moushabeck
Cookbook Editor

 CARPATHIA
Food from the Heart of Romania
by Irina Georgescu

I was immediately drawn to Irina Georgescu’s beautiful and thoughtful book. Though often overlooked here in the US, Romanian cuisine and culture is the result of a fascinating mixture of influences. Irina’s writing is friendly and knowledgeable, and her recipes are modern, colorful, and will quickly become favorites. Also of note is the richly evocative location photography.

READ MORE

MOUNEH
Preserving Foods for the Lebanese Pantry
by Barbara Abdeni Massaad 

Through diligent research, stunning photography, personal stories, and simple instructions, Barbara Abdeni Massaad’s important book lovingly documents generations of traditional recipes and techniques, rarely written down. It is a delightful introduction to the key elements of the Lebanese kitchen, and offers a lifeline for future generations who wish to preserve Lebanese cultural and culinary identity.

 READ MORE

ETHIOPIA
Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa
by Yohanis Gebreyesus

Winner of a 2020 James Beard Award, this absolutely beautiful book by Chef Yohanis Gebreyesus is not to be missed. He guides you through his wonderfully diverse country with knowledge and immense care, using recipes, history, regional traditions and flavors, and exquisite photography. I highly recommend it. 

 READ MORE

ASMA’S INDIAN KITCHEN
Home-Cooked Food Brought to You By Darjeeling Express
by Asma Khan

In this book, Chef Asma Khan, star of Netflix’s Chef’s Table, shares how food connected her with her home, heritage, activism, and ultimately, her adopted country. The recipes reflect her royal Mughlai ancestry and follow the route of the Darjeeling Express train from Bengal, through Calcutta, and along the foothills of the Himalayas to Hyderabad. Her warmth is evident on every page, so you feel you have been personally invited along for the journey. 

READ MORE

Also of Note

 Leyla Moushabeck is Interlink’s long-time cookbook editor. She collected and edited The Immigrant Cookbook: Recipes that Make America Great, which was selected as one of the best cookbooks of the year by Martha Stewart Living, Food Network, the Village Voice, and Eat Your Books, and won the 2018 MGIP book award. In 2019, she was named as one of Business Insider‘s “Food 100: The coolest people in food and drink.” She is the daughter of Palestinian and British immigrants, and lives in Brooklyn, New York with her Colombian husband and their two sons.

President Trump and his cronies would like us to believe that the spread of COVID-19 is totally under control, but all indications show that this pandemic is far from over and our #StayAtHome period is going to continue for a while. It is precisely during times like these?amid great social, political, and economic uncertainty?when we most need literature to soothe our souls, lift our spirits, cheer us up, and remind us of our humanity as we wait for this virus to pass. Here are my top 10 recommended reads for the summer. 

We are offering free shipping on all US orders during this period. Your purchases will help us weather this storm and allow us to keep publishing the type of literature you?ve come to expect from us.

Thank you for your support. Stay healthy and safe.

Michel Moushabeck

Founder/Publisher/Editor

 THE OLD WOMAN AND THE RIVER

by  Ismail Fahd Ismail; translated by Sophia Vasalou

This tops my list of favorite reads this year. It is a charming, heart-warming, and utterly enjoyable novel?the last work by celebrated Kuwaiti writer Ismail Fahd Ismail (1940-2018). It is set in Iraq at the time of the Iran-Iraq War. At times reminiscent of Don Quixote and of Jean Giono?s The Man Who Planted Trees, it is a story that tells of the hell of war, but also of the beauty of the landscape and the resilience of a wise, old woman and her determination to honor the land and her husband?s memory. It is beautifully rendered into English by Sophia Vasalou. If you?re planning to read only one novel this summer, this should be the one.

  READ MORE 

DUNE SONG

by Anissa M. Bouziane

This is Moroccan writer Anissa Bouziane?s acclaimed debit novel, which won the Prix Littéraire Sofitel Tour Blanch. From New York during 9/11 and its fallen towers to Morocco?s high Atlas Mountains and its searing dunes, this novel is an exploration of the fraught soul of our time and it needs to be read slowly. In beautiful prose, it draws a compelling portrait of what happens to us when the world for no reasons of our own, starts viewing us entirely differently. It is a great literary accomplishment and I can?t praise it highly enough.

  READ MORE 

TWENTY YEARS OF THE CAINE PRIZE
FOR AFRICAN WRITING

The Caine Prize is the leading African literature award, also known as the African Booker Prize. This fabulous collection, which celebrates the prize?s 20th anniversary, gathers the winning stories from the past two decades. The stories are splendidly diverse. The introduction by celebrated Nigerian poet and novelist Ben Okri is a great addition. He writes that the mostly young writers represented in the collection deliver ?tales political, tales harrowing, tales humorous, tales told with vitality and passion and intelligence.”

  READ MORE 

THE DARK SIDE OF LOVE
by Rafik Schami; translated by Anthea Bell

This dazzling novel spans a century of Syrian history in which politics and religions continue to torment an entire people. With its feuds, lovers, murders, villains, and assorted heroes and heroines, this is a novel to enjoy and to ponder. It is a thriller, a heartfelt tribute to the author’s hometown, Damascus, and a great and moving hymn to the power of love. This 900-page novel is one of my top #StayAtHome picks. I highly recommend it as I would all other novels by Rafik Schami.

  READ MORE 

TOUCH
by Adania Shibli; Translated by Paula Haydar

An exquisite, powerful novella by celebrated Palestinian writer Adania Shibli that transports readers to her West Bank homeland. There is so much richness and beauty in this work. It has soul; it has rhythm; and cries for reading over and over again. When you’ve finished it, I highly recommend reading Adania?s second novel, We Are All Equally Far From Love. Adania Shibli?s signature style comes from holding back. The silence in both her novels builds an unnerving suspense.

  READ MORE 

B AS IN BEIRUT
by Iman Humaydan; translated by Max Weiss

This is a fascinating and haunting portrayal of life in war-torn Beirut during the civil war. Originally published in Arabic, Iman Humaydan tells a multilayered and multi-voiced story of four unforgettable women living in the same building. I found it to be a compelling read and a subtle but powerful protest against war and sectarianism. Iman Humaydan?s novels are engaging portraits of the lives of women. You will also love her latest novel The Weight of Paradise. 

 READ MORE 

EVERYTHING GOOD WILL COME
by Sefi Atta

This is the debut novel of Nigerian author Sefi Atta (she is now working on her 6th novel). It won the Wole Soyinka Prize for African Literature and it is a favorite of mine. I still remember the excitement and enthusiasm I felt reading the manuscript and discovering a new, brilliant, literary talent. It is a witty, coming-of-age story that traces an unusual friendship of two young girls into their adult lives, against the backdrop of tragedy, family strife, and a war-torn Nigeria. I also recommend Sefi?s short story collection News from Home. 

 READ MORE 

KAHLIL GIIBRAN
Beyond Borders
by Jean Gibran and Kahlil Gibran

This is the definitive biography of a much loved poet and author of the classic The Prophet. Gibran was a poet, a painter, a rebel, a global citizen, and an immigrant from his beloved Lebanon. His compelling story is one of overcoming barriers faced by many immigrants. In the age of Trump and rising xenophobia, there is no better time to read this enlightening book that chronicles the life and work of a man who transcends borders and generations. It also includes a wealth of archival photos and never-before-published paintings by Gibran. 

 READ MORE 

THE SHELL
Memoirs of a Hidden Observer
by Moustafa Khalifa; translated by Paul Starkey

This is the most powerful novel you will ever read about Syria under the Assad regime?with echoes of Solzhenitsyn and Kafka?s The Trial and, in some instances, its imagery is akin to Dante Alighieri?s Inferno. It is the story of Musa, a Syrian political prisoner of conscience. It takes the form of a diary that he keeps in his head and writes upon his release from Tadmur, Syria?s most notorious prison. I highly recommend this novel not only for the writer?s brilliance, but also as an important perspective of the tragedy that has befallen the Syrian people. 

 READ MORE 

JUNE RAIN
by Jabbour Douaihy; translated by Paula Haydar

Jabbour Douaihy?a celebrated Lebanese writer?is one of my favorite novelists, with an incredible eye for detail. That?s why I have published three of his novels so far. June Rain is a masterpiece that was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. It tells the story of a 1957 gunfight that took place at a village funeral mass and depicts the divisions that left the inhabitants suffering for generations. It is a moving and powerful portrait of identity and division in Lebanon that is as relevant today as it was when the massacre of one Christian community by another took place 40 year ago. You will also enjoy Douaihy?s Printed in Beirut, which is a dazzling mystery set in the world of Lebanon’s book publishing industry. 

 READ MORE 

During the past couple of weeks I have written about racial injustice, my outrage, our solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and our work on uplifting the voices of BIPOC. The importance of this moment in our history?a history rooted in systemic racism and violence against Black and Indigenous people?cannot be underestimated. The last two weeks have shown us that progress towards justice is possible and that there is reason to hope that real change might be on the horizon. This, of course, will largely depend on us.

As we advocate for the tearing down of the systems of injustice that ended the lives of so many African Americans, as we fight for building a just society here at home, it is also important not to overlook the institutionalized and militarized system of Apartheid that exists in the country Congress calls ?our closest friend, the great democracy of Israel.? Apartheid is racism at its core and needs tearing down as well. Racism and brutality abroad cannot be separated from racial and social justice at home. How can we end police brutality at home when American law enforcement agencies send officers to train in Israel and endorse Israel’s use of brutal force as a model for policing? How can we explain our struggle to end racism here in America when, at the same time, our government is supporting, with our tax dollars, a system of racism and oppression that inflicts suffering on the Palestinians?

Under the cloud of a global pandemic, Israel?which has historically denied the national and cultural rights of the indigenous population of Palestine?is about to steal 30% of the West Bank in a historic land grab that furthers Palestinian dispossession. With Israel?s looming annexation, there is urgency for people of conscience around the globe to speak up against annexation and support the call for equality, freedom, and dignity for Palestinians and demand that Israel adheres to international law. 

Today, the level of Palestinian despair is at an all-time high. Palestinians continue to be colonized; Palestinian lands continue to be confiscated for illegal settlement building; Palestinian refugees continue to be exiled; and Palestinians living inside Israel continue to be discriminated against. Under the watchful eye?or intentional blindness?of its greatest ally, the United States, Israel has not only continued, but has intensified its inhumane policies and violations of international law.

In 1948, my family was terrorized; they were displaced from their home in West Jerusalem; and became refugees in countries that did not want them. I carry their pain with me to this day. As I speak up against anti-Black racism in the US, I will also raise my voice in support of Palestinian rights. It is our duty as US taxpayers to uplift the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice, and equality, and to demand that our elected officials hold Israel accountable for its atrocities, and work for an end to the ongoing US complicity in Israel?s denial of Palestinian rights.

Below are my recommendations for books that give you a better understanding of the Israel/Palestine issue. Thank you for your support. Stay healthy and safe. And stay politically active.

Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor

Looking to support Black authors and books in the midst of a national crisis and protest against systemic racism, our colleagues at Amistad Press have launched the hashtag campaign #BlackoutBestsellerList in an effort to draw attention to Black authors. In an e-mail appeal, the campaign encourages readers to purchase ?any two books by Black writers? this week. The goal is to ?raise the profiles of a lot of talented Black writers and show that Black literature is a growing market,? said Tracy Sherrod, editorial director of Amistad.

We are honored to join the call and showcase the works of our Black writers. Our publishing program includes an impressive list of titles by BIPOC authors and illustrators. 

My first Publisher?s Pick for the campaign is Everything Good Will Come, a novel by acclaimed African-American writer Sefi Atta, which won the Wole Soyinka Prize for African Literature. I still remember the excitement and enthusiasm I felt reading the manuscript and discovering a new, brilliant, young African talent. It is a witty coming-of-age story that traces an unusual friendship of two young girls into their adult lives, against the backdrop of tragedy, family strife, and a war-torn Nigeria. This literary masterpiece will appeal to all readers, especially to those interested in contemporary women?s stories and Nigerian culture. See below three of the rave reviews this debut novel has garnered after its release.

?A literary masterpiece… Everything Good Will Come put me into a spell from the first page to the very last… It portrays the complicated society and history of Nigeria through… brilliant prose.? ?World Literature Today

?This is a courageous story about friendship and self-discovery; it is a rallying cry to women to speak out in a world that tries to muzzle them.? ?Helen Habila, author of Waiting for an Angel 

?There is wit, intelligence and a delicious irreverence in this book. But it is Sefi Atta?s courage in choosing to look at her fictional world through fiercely feminist lenses that I most admired.? ?Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of Purple Hibiscus

Finally, together, let?s honor the anniversary of Juneteenth, this Friday’s celebration commemorating the end of slavery, and remember those who lost their lives to police brutality and violence against Black people. Let us use this moment to stand in solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters and amplify the call to defund the police and invest in actions that lift the Black community.

Below are a few other books by Black writers I highly recommend. I urge you to share your purchase of any two titles by Black authors with the hashtag #BlackoutBestsellerList, and don?t forget to tag Interlink in your posts. Will you join the campaign?

Thank you for your continued support. Stay healthy and safe.

Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor

In all honesty, getting back to the business of bookselling and telling you about our latest releases feels a bit strange to me?even insensitive. Over the past few weeks I?ve spent a lot of time thinking, reflecting, and looking inwardly at how complicit I am in the racist structures of a culture and society I have long opposed and worked hard to change. But the recent anti-racist protests are also a stark reminder of why the work that we do here at Interlink is so vital, and our community of readers and supporters so central to our struggle for a just world.

Our 33-year-old, family-run, independent publishing house is largely managed by people of color. Though our experience has been different, as Palestinian-Americans, we are well aware of the discrimination and biases of the white-centric world we live in. That is why we are committed to working even harder to supporting?and collaborating with?the Black community and other communities of color in our shared battle to end systemic racism once and for all. My friend Jim Hicks, Executive Editor of the Massachusetts Review, expressed it eloquently when he said: ?Every person of every color, creed, and class, in this country and across the world, has witnessed the trail of Black bodies that brought us to this day.?

While words matter greatly, I believe that actions matter more. From day one, our editorial mission has been to honor and amplify marginalized voices?with special emphasis on the unheard voices of women writers from the Middle East?and offer a platform to tell their stories, which otherwise may never be told. But despite the clarity of our founding mission, we acknowledge our shortcomings and are taking concrete steps to further educate ourselves, challenge our own implicit biases, and take actions to grow. 

Today, our will to fight for what we believe in is stronger than ever before. But we are facing inconceivable challenges and can?t do it without your help. You can support us by ordering books online directly from us?or from your local independent bookseller if possible. Your purchases will help us stay afloat so that we can keep fighting back with important books from writers that deserve to be published and young emerging voices that are making waves, opening our eyes, touching our hearts, and challenging our perspectives, prejudices, and preconceptions. If you value our work, but are not able to buy books at this time, you can help immensely by telling others about our books and what we do. Thank you for helping us get through these tough economic times caused by the virus.

Below are my picks of the week. We have extended our offer of free shipping within the US. Thank you for your support and stay healthy and safe.

With gratitude,
Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor

It was very heartening to receive and read your e-mails in response to our statement of solidarity with the Black community. I am grateful that so many of you?publishing colleagues, authors, translators, editors, designers, booksellers, librarians, business partners, readers, and supporters?commit, with us, to acknowledging, listening, learning, and contributing to the vital work we must do as people of conscience in order to end structural racism. You are the reason why we do what we do.

I was deeply moved by the scenes of hundreds of thousands of protesters across the US who are putting their lives on the line during a pandemic and raising their voices to promote civil rights and defend our constitutional right of ?Equal Justice under Law.? But I was outraged and pained as I watched some of the horrific footage from the mass demonstrations and saw how protesters?even journalists and cameramen?were being beaten with police batons, hand-cuffed, and arrested by law enforcement officers who have a history of abusing their powers and avoiding accountability. It is truly hard to grasp how largely peaceful protests against police brutality are being met with a show of force and more police brutality and violence.  

It is also hard to reconcile with the idea that every crisis this country has faced in the past three and a half years has been made far worse by a sitting president whose job is to lead, protect, and serve the citizens of this country, but instead chooses tweets and photo-ops that inflame, provoke, spread hate, and incite violence. My hope is that we will not miss this opportunity to harness our rage and energy and turn it into political power?a movement that would elect a president and representatives who will have the courage to advance fundamental change towards dismantling the system of institutional racism and eradicating policies that advance white supremacy at every level in our society.

This week?s events reminded me of Nelson Mandela and a book?a collection of his greatest speeches?we published over a decade ago called Let Freedom Reign: The Words of Nelson Mandela. Mandela?s words?his most potent tools in the struggle against apartheid?are as relevant today as when they were first uttered. It shows that he stood firmly for the principles of equality and democracy.

“Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all ? Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. Let freedom reign ??
?Excerpt from Nelson Mandela?s inaugural address, May 10, 1994

We are making a pdf of Let Freedom Reign available for $5 (please allow 2-3 days for e-mail delivery) and we will donate 100% of the proceeds to The Action Pac, an organization that is doing important work in combating the rising tide of racism.

Finally, during this time of outrage, it is important to also acknowledge our own implicit biases and consider the changes we can make in our own homes and workplaces. Our bookshelves are a good place to start. Interlink Publishing was built on the foundation that reading marginalized global voices can change the world.

Stay healthy and safe. And thank you for your continued support.

Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor

This is not the post I was planning on writing this week. I would much rather be writing to you about an exciting new author I?ve discovered or a new book that we?ve just published. But the past few days demand, yet again, that we speak up against racism, police brutality, and an unfit president enticing violence and promoting racial divisiveness instead of taking bold actions to begin dismantling the system of oppression that has existed in this country for so long.

I am in awe of the thousands of protesters who are risking their lives in the midst of a pandemic to come together in this unprecedented moment in our history. It is vital that we stand in solidarity with the Black community and other communities of color and commit ourselves to continuing the struggle against systemic anti-Black racism and the fight for justice. The murder of George Floyd, who was fatally knee-pinned by a white police officer, is the latest in a series of police killings that have taken the lives of too many African Americans in this country. The ensuing uproar?and rightful outcry?over his death reflects pent-up rage against racism, unwarranted deadly force, and the lack of effort to hold police officers accountable for their crimes.

James Baldwin could have been speaking about President Trump when he said that ?ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.? In the past, Trump called neo-Nazi and white supremacist demonstrators ?decent people,? while he recently called anti-racist protesters ?thugs? and threatened them with ?vicious dogs? and ?ominous weapons.? NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote in the Los Angeles Times: ?I don?t want to see stores looted or even buildings burn, but African Americans have been living in a burning building for many years, choking on the smoke as the flames burn closer and closer.?

In the absence of justice, there will be protests, riots, and intifadas. As a Palestinian, I know this all too well. Around the same time that George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, Israeli police in Jerusalem shot and killed Eyad al-Halaq, an unarmed autistic Palestinian student on his way to a school for people with disabilities after spotting on him a ?suspicious object that looked like a pistol.? As Palestinians, we are connected in struggle to movements like Black Lives Matter. We?ve witnessed racial violence, ethnic cleansing, and life under an Israeli apartheid system of oppression. Like Palestinian intifadas, people in this country are taking to the streets to say ENOUGH.

I am outraged and my heart is aching. I hope that this protest will be a catalyst for change toward a more just America and a more just world. At Interlink, my colleagues and I will continue to channel our frustrations into our work and we shall redouble our efforts to amplify the voices of Black writers, Palestinian writers, and those from marginalized communities. We shall seek out writers who will offer valuable insights into strengthening our movement for advancing racial justice, LGBTQ+ and gender equality, and continue our fight against racism, Zionism, settler-colonialism, apartheid, US imperialism, and other forms of oppression.

As we have done over the past 33 years, we remain committed to our mission of providing our readers with books that educate, inspire, and encourage informed debate and active participation in our democracy.

Has Trump finished making America Great again?

In solidarity,
Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor

Qatayef
Soft pancakes filled with cream in an orange blossom sugar syrup

Qatayef are soft, pillowy pancakes that are simply gorgeous. They are freshly made and stuffed with all sorts of fillings?cream, pistachios, walnuts, cheeses. . . They are sometimes eaten soft and sometimes fried, the choice is yours?the method of preparing them and putting them together is the same.

I love making these for special occasions such as Eid and birthdays, since they are such a treat and also look beautiful. Their texture is so unctuous that you just have to eat more than one. Every family has their own way of making them, and this is the way we do it at home.

Makes 25?30

For the pancakes
2 cups (500 ml) warm milk
2 cups (500 ml) warm
water
1 x ¼ oz (7 g) envelope of
instant yeast
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
2 ½ cups (10½ oz/300 g)
all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 oz/170 g) fine
semolina

sunflower oil
1 quantity Sweetened Cream or variation (see below)
1 quantity Sugar Syrup (page 232) mixed with 2 tsp orange blossom water
crushed pistachios, to scatter
crushed dried rose petals, to scatter

In a bowl, combine all the pancake ingredients, mix well, then set aside for 30 minutes to rise.

When the mixture has rested and the gluten has grown, heat a frying pan over low heat and grease it with a little sunflower oil. Place a small ladleful of the mixture into the pan to make a 3 inch (7.5 cm) pancake, and let it cook without flipping. You should start to see small air bubbles form on the top. When it is golden on the bottom and cooked through, remove from the pan, set aside, and repeat with the remaining mixture. Once you have made all of them, you can start stuffing. I use the sweetened cream filling from the Warbat Bil Ishta (page 212; see below), but feel free to use your own preferred filling. Place a dollop of stuffing in the center of one pancake. If you are serving straight away, begin pressing the edges of the pancake together on one side, but stop half way, so you have a semicircle that is open on one side, exposing some of the filling. Repeat with the rest.

If you are deep-frying, seal the pancakes all the way around the edges. Half-fill a deep pan with oil, heat it to 350ºF (180ºC), and fry the pancakes until slightly golden and a little crisp on both sides. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels for a few minutes.

To serve either version, drizzle with the orange blossom sugar syrup and scatter with pistachios and rose petals.

Sweetened Cream Filling (with Variation)

8 ½ cups (2 liters) whole milk
¾ cup (180 ml) white wine vinegar
2?3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp butter
⅔ cup (150 ml) heavy cream

For the sweetened cream, place the milk in a saucepan over low heat and bring to a boil. Once boiled, add the vinegar. The mixture will split, but that?s fine. Pass the mixture through a sieve, keeping the curd and discarding all the liquid. Add the sugar (according to how sweet you like things) and the butter to the curd and mix to combine. Add the cream, mix well, and place in the refrigerator.

OR

As an alternative filling recipe, cut the crusts off 12 slices of white toasting bread, then use a food processor to process the bread to a chunky powder. Combine with 2 cups (500 ml) of heavy cream and 2?4 tablespoons of sugar.

Baladi: Palestine
A Celebration of Food from Land and Sea
By Joudie Kalla – Photography by Jamie Orlando Smith

So many folks have said about the pandemic that ?We?re all in this together,? and I even started saying it myself. But this is untrue in every way you look at it. The truth of the matter is that we are so not all in this together?at least not in equal measure.

The world we live in was never equal before the pandemic and is not equal during the pandemic. While we are all suffering to some degree, the disease has hit some people so much harder than others and has shown us the disparities and inequalities much more starkly than ever before.

Like many of you, I look at the Covid-19 statistics on a daily basis and I wonder why the death rate in the US is so much higher than anywhere else in the world. And how many lives may have perished unnecessarily; how many livelihoods destroyed; how many overworked healthcare workers and other essential personnel facing undue hardships and stress; and how much grief and pain families who have lost loved ones have to endure.

In these uncertain times it?s hard to know what to do. In my household, it helped enormously to stop listening to the toxic filth coming out of the White House. I feel that there has never been a greater need for us to hear the truths afforded by science?and, of course, the deeper truths afforded by literature. 

We can help with the latter. Below are some our new spring 2020 titles and older ones I highly recommend. Working on books like these help me get through each day and give me hope about the post-pandemic world we will rebuild once we rid ourselves of the dual virus: Covid-19 and Trump (and his cronies in power who are best placed to exploit the coronavirus pandemic). I hope that these book recommendations will contribute to helping lift your spirits and act as an effective antidote to anxiety and distress during these challenging times.

Remember we are still offering a free gift and free shipping until the end of May.

Thank you for your support. Please stay healthy and safe.

Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor

While being quarantined is the shocking new reality to most people around the globe, it has become a fact of life to Palestinians facing unprecedented hardship and daily nightmares. The conditions in Gaza alone should make any decent human being fume with anger: over two million people in an open air prison facing massive shortages of life saving medicines and medical supplies due to Israel?s illegal blockade and the international community?s inaction.

Before my father died, he gave me the key to our house in Jerusalem. My memory of that day is as vivid and bright as a silver coin in the sun. I will always remember it. He looked at me with his kind eyes and said: ?This is the key to our house in Qatamon; the house belonged to my father and now it belongs to you, your children, and grandchildren.? Of course, my father was not naive. He knew all too well that our house in Palestine is gone?forever. But he wanted to make sure that I would tell my children so that they would tell their children about our Jerusalem home.

Seventy two years ago today, the Jewish state of Israel was established and the Palestinian state of despair and homelessness began. Palestinians refer to this day as ?al-Nakba,? the catastrophe that resulted in the ethnic cleansing of nearly 750,000 natives and the destruction of more than 500 Palestinian villages and towns. May 15, 1948 is a date forever etched in the collective memory of every Palestinian. No one can forget what happened in the run-up to that fateful day. During that time, the world witnessed one of the largest forced migrations in modern history. Today, Israel?s founding strategy of the forcible removal of the indigenous population continues. For decades Palestinians have been prevented from exercising their rights to freedom and self-determination; for decades they have endured horrific conditions of apartheid and brutal military occupation; and after decades, the hope of recovering even a small portion of their historic homeland has slipped away. And Palestinians know that the worst is yet to come, especially under the ultra-right, extremist government of Israeli Prime Minister Natanyahu, who is moving quickly towards the annexation of the West Bank.

The level of Palestinian despair is at an all time high. Palestinians continue to be colonized; Palestinian lands continue to be confiscated for illegal settlement building; Palestinian refugees continue to be exiled; and Palestinians living inside Israel continue to be discriminated against. Under the watchful eye?or intentional blindness?of its greatest ally, the United States, Israel has not only continued but has intensified its inhumane policies and violations of international law.

The Nakba did not end in 1948; it continues to impact Palestinians everywhere. Al-Nakba Day serves as an important reminder that until there is an end to the occupation, until Palestinians get justice and equal rights, and until Israel adheres to international law there can be no hope for peace.

Consider giving a friend a book on Palestine or by a Palestinian writer. Below are a few recommendations. 

Stay safe,
Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor
 

.  

As the publisher of Interlink Publishing, I have the honor of writing to you and speaking on behalf of my entire family and staff in expressing our collective gratitude to each of you for your continued support as we face the most difficult challenges we?ve ever experienced as an indie press.

Arundhati Roy wrote in a recent article: ?Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.” 

Indie publishers and  booksellers have a shared commitment for a better world. They bring people together to share ideas that will help transform society. As such, they are society?s lifeline. Today, as we face the daunting challenge of staying afloat and keeping our staff employed, we are determined to stay alive and relevant so we can do our part in ?imagining another world? and fighting for it.

To help us get over this hurdle, I am asking you to tell your friends about our special offer. Place an order from our website before May 30th and you?ll receive a surprise gift from us to thank you for supporting us during these difficult times. You?ll also get free delivery. Choose a genre for your free book?cookbook, history book, travel literature, or fiction?and I will personally select a title I think you’ll enjoy. Simply indicate your genre choice in the note section at checkout.

Stay safe,
Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor

It?s not easy being a mom. Add a global pandemic and an economic shutdown to the mix and, all of a sudden, mom?s job becomes so much harder. Moms are often care givers, providers, educators, chefs, and housekeepers as well as employees or small business owners, all at once.

Isolating with my daughter?s family?with two boys ages 3 years and 9 months?who seven weeks ago moved in with us until it is safer for them to go back home, I have witnessed firsthand my daughter?s daily workload while also dealing with the distress and anxiety this pandemic has brought, and I have also seen the joy that parenthood gives her. My youngest daughter?who is also a full-time Interlink staff member and just had her new baby girl under lockdown?will no doubt agree.

Mother?s Day feels different this year. We may need to celebrate the mothers in our lives under lockdown, and sometimes at a great distance. Below are some of my family?s favorite gift books by authors who honor their mothers on every page, carrying on their traditions from afar. We hope they inspire you to share stories, learn from your mother, appreciate your time together, or look forward to shared meals once again. 

Sending all moms out there our warmest wishes for a Happy Mother?s Day! We are still offering free shipping during the lockdown period, and now offer eGift cards as well.

Thank you for your support. 

Stay safe,
Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor

Provence: The Cookbook
by Caroline Rimbert Craig 
?My culinary education involved watching and helping the older generation of women in my family in the kitchen, seeing things transform in the pan, tasting, noticing how a recipe was adapted…? READ MORE

Salt & Time: Recipes from a Russian Kitchen by Alissa Timoshkina
?A renowned Russian food historian, William Pokhlebkin (whose pen name derives from the Russian word for ?stew?), claimed that one could spot a happy family by the presence or absence of soups in their meals. My mom, aware of that opinion, prides herself on the fact that in her household there is always soup on any given day of the year.?.? READ MORE 

Palestine on a Plate: Memories from My Mother?s Kitchen by Joudie Kalla
?I love the commitment and love she has for all of us. She always makes our favorite foods when we have been missed and I now do the same when I am missing her.?  READ MORE 

Carpathia: Food from the Heart of Romania by Irina Georgescu
“I have kept as close as possible to the traditional ingredients and flavors, how my mom used to cook? Food is a way of remembering our roots and bringing back memories. To us food brings comfort and the sweet feeling of belonging, wherever and whoever we are.” READ MORE 

As we continue to battle the impact of COVID-19, I hope that you?re looking after yourselves and your families and taking all the necessary precautions to stay safe. It is precisely during times like these when we most need literature to soothe our souls, lift our spirits, cheer us up, and remind us of our humanity.

As an independent publishing house, we have always felt that we have an important role to play in society and in making the world a better place. Here?s a rundown of just a few of the small contributions we are able to make?with your generous support?to help people in need:

– In 2016, the cookbook Soup for Syria: Recipes that Celebrate Our Shared Humanity by Barbara Abdeni Massaad raised over $520,000.00 for food and medical relief to Syrian refugees. 

– In 2017, we donated a portion of the proceeds from the sales of Palestine on a Plate ($13,500.00) to help restore a children?s center run by the Nablus-based Palestinian House of Friendship. We are still donating from the sales and remain $11,500.00 short of our goal.

– In 2018, to counteract Donald Trump?s anti-immigrant rhetoric, we published The Immigrant Cookbook: Recipes that Make America Great by Leyla Moushabeck and donated $25,295.00 to the ACLU?s Immigrant?s Rights Project. We are continuing to donate from the sales of the book.

– In 2019, we donated 1000 children?s books to Boblioceiba, a Puerto Rican nonprofit educational organization supplying books to schools and libraries destroyed by Hurricane Maria.

– We’ll soon be announcing our 2020 initiatives?watch this space! 

Today, your purchases of Interlink books are our lifeline. We are offering free delivery on online orders from www.interlinkbooks.com. You will not only get books faster, but you will be helping a 33-year-old independent publishing house keep doing important work without having to lay off its dedicated staff. Below are my picks for this week.

Thank you for your unwavering support. Please stay healthy and safe.

Michel Moushabeck
Publisher/Editor

Our hearts and minds are preoccupied and heavy with uncertainty. We see places of worship without worshipers, airports without passengers, grocery stores without groceries, and, yes, bookstores without book lovers. The economic fallout from this pandemic and its impact on indie publishers and booksellers is incalculable. But life must go on despite the virus. And independent booksellers and publishers need your love and support now more than ever before. Large corporations may receive government bailouts; indie publishers will have a tough time surviving and may fold. In short, all we have is YOU, our readers, friends, and longtime supporters. So while you are social-distancing at home, please order your books online from our website. We guarantee FREE DELIVERY and shipment within 24 hours?as quickly as we can while keeping our staff safe.

During these difficult times, we hope you?ll find shelter and inspiration in literature. Below, you can browse new titles for your coronavirus lockdown reading pleasure. We will beat this nasty virus with love, friendship, connectedness, good food, and great books. The written word, printed books, and indie publishers and booksellers will survive. You can help by:

– Signing up for our weekly e-newsletter and following us on social media
– Visiting www.interlinkbooks.com and reading about our latest books
– Ordering books online, and telling family and friends to do the same
– Calling your senator and representative and asking them to do everything they can to support small businesses

Be safe and well. Thank you for your support.

Michel Moushabeck
Publisher/Editor

While our ?very stable genius? in the White House keeps getting more outrageous with his daily pandemic-solving ideas, more and more people are dying every day and a staggering number of small family businesses like ours may perish as a result. This makes me very angry.

I hope that you share my view that books and indie publishers are essential. We are enormously grateful to YOU, our readers and longtime supporters, for all the love?and online orders. We are still offering free shipping throughout the lockdown period so please spread the word.

We are also excited to let you know that you can now purchase eGift cards from our website. Not sure what to give your mom for Mother?s Day? Why not an Interlink eGift card so she could select for herself what she?d like to read? Whether you?re looking for a birthday gift, graduation gift, holiday gift?or a gift for any other occasion?the Interlink eGift card is perfect and easy to purchase from our homepage. It can be used at any time for book purchases from our website. And you?ll be helping us get through this unexpected hardship and continue our publishing program so we can bring you the books you?ve come to expect from us.

Heartfelt wishes from all of us at Interlink that you and your loved ones are safe and well. We thank you so much for your unwavering support during these troubling times.