"Why have you supported the boycott of the Turin Book Fair?"

As the Arab Writers’ Union, we have received much protest on behalf of Arab writers who have asked us to take a stance against the choice of Israel as the guest of honour. You cannot host a country which does not respect human rights in Gaza and the occupied territories. Disapprobation has also come from Egyptian intellectuals because of the Italian decision to postpone its role as guest of honour until next year, replacing it with Israel. During the Book Fair in Cairo in 2007, Italy was the guest of honour. It was on that occasion that Egypt was declared guest of honour for the Turin Book Fair 2008.

The Director of the Turin Book Fair, Ernesto Ferrero, stated that postponement until next year was agreed with the Egyptian organisers…

In reality, Egypt has only accepted Italy’s request to move the date to next year. There was no ‘agreement’. Personally I am saddened by the decision of the organisers of the Turin Book Fair in choosing Israel as the guest of honour. The choice is inappropriate given the dramatic situation with Palestine. We are truly shocked by this state of affairs. Arabs have always had a friendly and reciprocal relationship with Italy due to its impartial position with regards to the issues in the Middle East. Italian intellectuals have supported the just cause of the Palestinian people.

What will happen to Arab writers who participate in the upcoming Turin Book Fair?

As far as I know there are no Arab writers who have decided to take part in the Turin Fair. However the call for boycott has come straight from them, and therefore it would be contradictory of them to accept an invite to go to Turin. The anger of the Egyptian writers will not be easily forgotten, and for this I think that there will be negative consequences for next year when Egypt will be the ‘guest of honour’.

Yet how do you explain Gamal Al Ghitani and Ala Al-Aswani, two important Egyptian writers who have expressed that they are against the boycott?

This is not true. They are certainly not in favour of Israel being the ‘guest of honour’. They have simply said that boycotting is counter-productive, and thus one should go to the Turin Fair to challenge Israeli politics and to defend the rights of the Palestinian people.

Last week Israeli writer Amos Oz wrote an important piece against his own government. Is it right to be boycotting him? He is a writer. It is valid to boycott other writers?

We are not boycotting any writers. We just want to boycott the State of Israel for its destructive politics towards Palestinians.

Translation by Helen Waghorn