Authors call for action – Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg author David Bergen is among a group of more than two dozen writers who have signed a letter calling on the Scotiabank Giller Prize to sever ties with its main sponsor over its involvement with an Israeli arms manufacturer.

A July 10 letter to the Giller Foundation, posted online by a group called Canlit Responds, said the authors “cannot tolerate our work being used to obscure sponsors who are actively investing in arms financing and Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinians” – a reference to Scotiabank’s involvement with Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.

The letter (which can be viewed online at wfp.to/ykT) calls on the Giller Foundation to use its influence to pressure Scotiabank to divest its shares in Elbit Systems and cut its ties with all donors “who have directly invested in the Israeli occupation and genocide in Palestine, including the Azrieli Foundation, Indigo and Audible.”

Bergen won the Giller Prize in 2005 for his novel The time in betweenand has been on numerous long and short lists over the years with his novels and short story collections.

“I mean, it’s not an easy decision,” said Bergen, calling from Alberta. “Authors work hard on their books, and then to say, ‘I’m not going to submit it for a big prize,’ is a big decision.”

Other signatories include former Giller Prize nominee Shani Mootoo and former winner Omar El Akkad, who, as former nominees, refuse to participate in all Giller Prize-related promotions and programs.

Other signatories include authors whose books are eligible for the 2024 prize but who will not submit their works for consideration. They include Manitoba-born, Toronto-based Adriana Chartrand, John Elizabeth Stinzi, Catherine Hernandez and Kazim Ali.

The prize is worth $100,000 and is usually accompanied by a significant increase in book sales.

“I admire them much more than myself,” Bergen said of the authors’ withdrawal from the competition. “They are taking a much bigger risk than I am.”

“To be clear: I was very lucky with the Giller Prize and I have no problem with book prizes. It’s just the associations that have been attached to it in recent years.”

On November 13, the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize ceremony was disrupted by protesters over Scotiabank’s ties to Elbit Systems, and three people were subsequently charged. A letter calling for the charges against the protesters to be dropped, sent shortly after the ceremony, received more than 2,000 signatures.

According to Elana Rabinovitch, Giller’s managing director, the board discussed calls to cut ties with Scotiabank because of its investment in an Israeli arms manufacturer, but ultimately decided to stay with the bank.

“I think that’s a missed opportunity for the Giller Prize – that’s unfortunate,” Bergen said. “And I think it reflects an inability to hear what’s going on in the world.”

Rabinovitch says the Giller Foundation is not a political tool and that Scotiabank’s funding has had a positive impact on the award winners and the CanLit scene as a whole.

— with files from The Canadian Press

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Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks author

Ben Sigurdson is the Free Pressis a literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Master of Arts in English in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly newspaper Free Press Drinks column. He joined the Free Press In 2013 he worked full-time as an editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.

In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben leads a team of freelance book reviewers and produces arts and life content, all published by the Free Pressbefore publication on the Internet or in print. It is part of the Free PressTradition since 1872 of producing reliable, independent journalism. Read more about Free PressLearn about the history and mandate of and find out how our newsroom works.

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