To bin the latest Sally Rooney?

[JumperandJacket]

Genuinely shocked by the news she has banned the translation of her book into Hebrew. I can see no reading of this that isn’t straightforward antisemitism. She may claim it’s a protest against the Israeli government but to equate Hebrew speakers with the government of Israel is in itself deeply racist. The only other writer I know of to have done this is Icke-fancier, Alice Walker.

Plus the book is boring as shit.

She didn't want to work with a particular publisher, not gone on an antisemitic angle suddenly - she has been royally fucked over by people sharing incorrect facts, and is owed an apology.

I don't like her work (think it's boring) but she's really bein demonised right now.

Her books are absolutely dire. No plot, awful, tedious, self centred characters. I cannot for the life of me understand her popularity.

I don't know enough about the current row to form an opinion, but I have tried 2 of her books based on the massive hype but won't be reading any more.

@NothingSafe That's interesting- not what I had heard so I'll try and find out a bit more. The story as presented in the press today is shocking.

That's not the truth OP. She was approached by an Israeli publisher to have her new book translated which she refused due to her support of the Palestinian people and their terrible treatment by the Israeli government and her boycott of that regime.

Your OP isn’t correct - she has refused to work with an Israeli publisher, for obvious reasons. Good on her!

She is free to express her beliefs. You are free to express yours by boycotting her books. Pathetic woman.

She writes dull and bloodless prose which is forgivable …. But holding all her Israeli readers responsible for their government is mean and exceptional… as she has not done this for any other contentious government on this planet.

Good for Ms Rooney. She has principles and is willing to take a stand.

It's not because of antisemitism, it's one publisher. Fair play to her.

@keeptalkinghappytalk

She writes dull and bloodless prose which is forgivable …. But holding all her Israeli readers responsible for their government is mean and exceptional… as she has not done this for any other contentious government on this planet.

She’s not stopping the book being translated into Hebrew, she’s refusing to work with any Israeli publishers to do so. She supports the boycott of Israel due to their actions against Palestinians and publishing with one of the largest publishing houses in Israel would go directly against that boycott. The book can be translated into Hebrew by a non-Israeli publisher, there are millions of Hebrew speakers around the world and many publishers who can do the translation.

As long as she has also refused to have her work translated into Arabic so as to boycott the likes of the Iranian government, or Cantonese/Mandarin to boycott the CCP, or even Cyrillic/Russian or Hungarian as a stand against Putin and Orban respectively*, then her actions cannot be regarded as antisemitic. If, on the other hand, she chooses to boycott Israel and only Israel, then yes; it is antisemitism.

This is in accordance with the guidelines set by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance - the official version of antisemitism, if you will. I think we can assume that the IHRA are the best authority on what constitutes antisemitism and what does not. More so than the average Mumsnet poster browsing AIBU.

For what it's worth, I don't know enough about Ms Rooney to say either way, but I do know about the official guidelines adopted by most nations, political parties and institutions worldwide.

*These are just examples I could come up with off the top of my head. I'm certain that many people could think of better ones.

As others have said, it's one Israeli company, not the translation into Hebrew overall.

I don't know anything about the row but her books in my humble opinion are not better than other literary authors, who write without the fanfare. I also wish she'd use speech marks, but I may be old-fashioned.

I feel the same way OP. Unless she's also refused to have it published in any country with an imperfect record, it just feels like anti semitism.

It's the Israeli Ministry of Defence publishing house she turned down. Anyone else who can translate into Hebrew is welcome to, it's just that publishing house.

As others have said, you’ve got that very wrong OP.

But as I couldn’t even get through her last 2 novels, I’ll happily avoid.

@RuggerHug It's absolutely not a case of 'anyone else who can translate into Hebrew' being welcome to. You have to buy the rights, which requires the consent of the author, or the publisher, depending on who owns the world rights to the work.

The story as presented in the press today is shocking.

Is this honestly the first time you have come across the idea that the stories in the printed media are to sell paper / online to generate clicks and that the 'real' story is actually materially different?

[quote LittleGwyneth]@RuggerHug It's absolutely not a case of 'anyone else who can translate into Hebrew' being welcome to. You have to buy the rights, which requires the consent of the author, or the publisher, depending on who owns the world rights to the work.[/quote]
LittleGwyneth Sorry I meant it as in she hasn't said she doesn't want it read or translated into Hebrew, just not by that company. Apologies if it came across wrong.

@NotLettingItSlide

As long as she has also refused to have her work translated into Arabic so as to boycott the likes of the Iranian government, or Cantonese/Mandarin to boycott the CCP, or even Cyrillic/Russian or Hungarian as a stand against Putin and Orban respectively*, then her actions cannot be regarded as antisemitic. If, on the other hand, she chooses to boycott Israel and only Israel, then yes; it is antisemitism.

This is in accordance with the guidelines set by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance - the official version of antisemitism, if you will. I think we can assume that the IHRA are the best authority on what constitutes antisemitism and what does not. More so than the average Mumsnet poster browsing AIBU.

For what it's worth, I don't know enough about Ms Rooney to say either way, but I do know about the official guidelines adopted by most nations, political parties and institutions worldwide.

*These are just examples I could come up with off the top of my head. I'm certain that many people could think of better ones.

Maybe read what’s actually happened first….

@NotLettingItSlide

As long as she has also refused to have her work translated into Arabic so as to boycott the likes of the Iranian government, or Cantonese/Mandarin to boycott the CCP, or even Cyrillic/Russian or Hungarian as a stand against Putin and Orban respectively*, then her actions cannot be regarded as antisemitic. If, on the other hand, she chooses to boycott Israel and only Israel, then yes; it is antisemitism.

This is in accordance with the guidelines set by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance - the official version of antisemitism, if you will. I think we can assume that the IHRA are the best authority on what constitutes antisemitism and what does not. More so than the average Mumsnet poster browsing AIBU.

For what it's worth, I don't know enough about Ms Rooney to say either way, but I do know about the official guidelines adopted by most nations, political parties and institutions worldwide.

*These are just examples I could come up with off the top of my head. I'm certain that many people could think of better ones.

You could have said the same thing during the South African Apartheid. Many countries were just a brutal back then as they are today, but that still doesn’t change that fact that boycotting the country was a major factor in ending apartheid in SA.

@NotLettingItSlide

As long as she has also refused to have her work translated into Arabic so as to boycott the likes of the Iranian government, or Cantonese/Mandarin to boycott the CCP, or even Cyrillic/Russian or Hungarian as a stand against Putin and Orban respectively*, then her actions cannot be regarded as antisemitic. If, on the other hand, she chooses to boycott Israel and only Israel, then yes; it is antisemitism.

This is in accordance with the guidelines set by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance - the official version of antisemitism, if you will. I think we can assume that the IHRA are the best authority on what constitutes antisemitism and what does not. More so than the average Mumsnet poster browsing AIBU.

For what it's worth, I don't know enough about Ms Rooney to say either way, but I do know about the official guidelines adopted by most nations, political parties and institutions worldwide.

*These are just examples I could come up with off the top of my head. I'm certain that many people could think of better ones.

I choose not to acknowledge their non legally binding, working definition. Ridiculous to think that any criticism of the state of Israel is antisemitic.

OP, please read up more about this issue. She’s not denying a translation into Hebrew, she’s declining to work with a particular Israeli publisher. She’s not depriving the Jewish population of her book, which can be translated into Hebrew by someone else.

So she only supports some peoples human rights.

amp.theguardian.com/books/2021/oct/12/sally-rooney-beautiful-world-where-are-you-israeli-publisher-hebrew

The boycott is any publisher in Israel according to the statement. Of course it's antisemitic, you'd have to be half daft not to think so, she isn't preventing other translations. I think she's a facile and awkward writer at best, so it's no great loss to anyone who will no longer buy her books accordingly.