The 14th International Writers Festival in Jerusalem has been dealt a significant blow after Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee officially declined an invitation to attend the event, citing the Israeli state’s actions in Gaza as a “campaign of genocide”.
The 86-year-old South African-Australian novelist, widely regarded as one of the greatest living writers in English, was invited to serve as a headlining guest at the prestigious event at Mishkenot Sha’ananim, scheduled for May 25–28.
Coetzee’s Stance on Gaza Crisis
In correspondence shared by the festival’s organisers, Coetzee stated that he could not participate in the event given the current geopolitical climate, describing the military actions in Gaza over the past two years as a “campaign of genocide… that is disproportionate to the ‘murderous provocations’ that took place on October 7.”
Coetzee’s refusal extended beyond a critique of the government, arguing that the “intellectual and artistic communities” within the country were not exempt from accountability, citing what he perceived as widespread domestic support for the military campaign.
Impact on Literary Community
The festival’s director, Julia Fermentto-Tzaisler, expressed her profound sadness regarding the author’s decision, voicing her “despair” at his stance, suggesting that his absence would be felt by those within the local literary scene who still champion dialogue and peaceful resolution.
Despite the withdrawal of its primary star, the festival programme will continue later this month, with confirmed speakers including other notable authors and literary figures.
Coetzee’s decision is particularly resonant given his history with the city, having travelled to accept the Jerusalem Prize in 1987, where he delivered a famous address on the “literature of bondage” under South African apartheid.
- Coetzee is expected to travel to Europe later this month to receive an honorary doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Brussels and The Hague.
- The author has engaged with the region in the past, including a 2016 visit for the Palestine Festival of Literature.
For a writer who has spent his career examining the mechanics of power and the silence of the complicit, this latest act of dissent suggests that, for Coetzee, the time for “dialogue” has been eclipsed by the need for action.
