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New publishing group The Jewish Publishing Circle calls for anti-Jewish racism training
A new publishing group The Jewish Publishing Circle has called for the book trade to introduce anti-Jewish racism training across the industry and has urged publishers to use Jewish sensitivity readers for books where cultural sensitivities should be taken into account.
The group, formed after 7th October terrorist attack on Israel in 2023, has also called for the return of the 101 hostages still held by terrorist group Hamas, as well as for an "end to the suffering and hostilities in Gaza, Lebanon and across the region".
About 1,200 people were killed, and more than 250 were taken to Gaza as hostages, following the attack by Hamas, and since then more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in air and artillery strikes carried out by the Israeli military, as recorded by Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The war has since widened to include Lebanon and Iran, with peace negotiations ongoing.
In an opinion piece, literary agent Steph Thwaites, who is part of the group, explained the rationale behind its formation. "I, together with others, felt there was a need for a Jewish community in publishing to come together, in a way throughout my more than 20 years in publishing I hadn’t felt before. This was the beginning of The Jewish Publishing Circle, a pluralist group consisting of Jewish people working in publishing houses and agencies and other publishing organisations."
She wrote that it had heard from a range of speakers, and that there was no settled view on Israel: "As Jewish people, we are in relationship with Israel, but our views differ widely and our Circle contains multiple narratives and perspectives. Our goal is to develop connection and understanding among ourselves and with our colleagues across the industry and we are keen to explore interfaith opportunities and dialogue."
And added: "For many of the Jewish Publishing Circle, the conflict has exposed a sense of discomfort in the workplace and experiences of discrimination." In a practical way, the group said that it also advocates for anti-Jewish racism training across the industry and for the use of Jewish sensitivity readers where appropriate.
