Irish author Sally Rooney has found herself embroiled in controversy and is facing accusations of anti-Semitism after refusing to allow her new book, Beautiful World, Where Are You, to be translated into Hebrew by an Israeli company.
The allegations came after it was revealed that she had declined a bid by Israeli publisher Modan for the rights to translate the work.
Award-winning author Rooney said she supported the pro-Palestinian movement BDS – Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions – which calls for a cultural boycott of Israel over its policies towards Palestine. However, she issued a statement clarifying her decision after being accused of refusing to allow her novel to be translated into Hebrew at all.
Rooney said it would “be an honour” to have the book translated into Hebrew, but by a company that shared her political position.
She said that while she was "very proud" her two previous novels – Conversations with Friends (2017) and Normal People (2018) – had been translated into Hebrew, for the moment, she has "chosen not to sell these translation rights to an Israeli-based publishing house".
She said she could not "accept a new contract with an Israeli company that does not publicly distance itself from apartheid and support the UN-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people".
"The Hebrew-language translation rights to my new novel are still available, and if I can find a way to sell these rights that is compliant with the BDS movement's institutional boycott guidelines, I will be very pleased and proud to do so," she said.
“In the meantime, I would like to express once again my solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality.”
Rooney's stance was met with anger and praise on social media.
Beautiful World, Where Are You shot to the top of the UK's book charts when it was released in September, selling more than 40,000 copies in its first five days on sale. Normal People and Conversations with Friends have been adapted for TV, with filming on the latter to start in 2022.
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4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
