In this episode, Suchitra, Bhakti, and Madhuri examine the intersections of literary culture and ethics in the advent of an ongoing genocide in Gaza. They look at how prestigious literary institutions, prizes, and cultural events have been complicit in perpetuating imperialist power structures and silencing dissenting voices. They highlight the ways in which these institutions, through both overt actions and subtle inactions, reveal their allegiance to oppressive systems. They break down the controversies that have rocked prominent literary organizations and awards in North America, such as PEN America, Giller Prize, and the Dan David Prize amongst others, further exposing their failure to take a firm stand against Israel’s genocide on Gaza. The hosts also address the broader critique of performative activism in the literary world. The episode interrogates the role and responsibilities of a writer, publishers and institutions during an ongoing genocide, and emphasizes an urgent reimagining for the way that literary and cultural institutions and ecosystems should function. It urges the literary industry to push forward the cultural boycott of Israel, and actively participate in creating ethical, radical spaces for resistance and solidarity. Key Takeaways:

• The ongoing genocide in Gaza perpetuated by Israel has exposed and unmasked the literary world as they were faced with controversies over their stance on the genocide. Many writers and organizations have called on for the boycott of institutions who continue to not address the genocide on Gaza and maintain their close ties with Israel.
• The Giller Prize and PEN America, in particular, have recently faced serious backlash for their financial sponsorships and allegiance to institutionalised oppressive systems.
• The impact of cultural production and its political implications by literary organizations on state violence is sanitized by manufacturing harmful narratives of tip-toeing around neutrality and zionist apologia.
• The role of a writer comes into question during an ongoing genocide and genocide must be a red line in cultural and literary production. There is a moral imperative to engage in ethical publishing and reject affiliations with systems abetting oppression and violence.
• Literary organizations must understand the significance of the cultural boycott of Israel and the necessity of signing on to PACBI.