Second author withdraws from Scotiabank Giller Prize jury over bank’s ties to Israel

TORONTO — A second author has stepped down from this year’s Scotiabank Giller Prize jury over the organization’s refusal to cut ties with its lead sponsor.

Indian novelist Megha Majumdar has joined Ethiopian American author Dinaw Mengestu in resigning from the panel that awards the $100,000 prize.

With both international jurors having dropped out, only the three Canadian judges remain: authors Noah Richler and Kevin Chong and singer-songwriter Molly Johnson.

Majumdar and Mengestu’s resignations come as a growing group of writers call on the Giller Foundation to part ways with Scotiabank because of its investment in an Israeli arms manufacturer.

The Giller’s executive director, Elana Rabinovitch, said last week that the board had discussed the mounting pressure but decided to stick with the bank because “the foundation is not a political tool.”

Numerous authors have also withdrawn their work from consideration for this year’s prize because of Scotiabank’s funding, including Fawn Parker, who was longlisted for the prize in 2022, and Michelle Winters, who made the 2017 short list.

Still more who are not up for this year’s prize because they haven’t published in the eligibility window signed a letter calling on the Giller to stop accepting money from Scotiabank and all sponsors that are “directly invested in Israel’s occupation of Palestine.”

Those other sponsors and partners include bookselling giant Indigo, whose controlling shareholders Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman founded the HESEG foundation, which offers scholarships to people from outside Israel who join that country’s military.

Signatories to the letter include Sarah Bernstein, who won last year’s prize, and Omar El Akkad, who won in 2021.

Scotiabank has not responded to requests for comment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press