A Message of Solidarity

We at the Center for the Art of Translation and Two Lines Press feel compelled by the ongoing war on Gaza to add our voices to those in our community calling for a permanent ceasefire, the immediate release of hostages, and an end to the obstruction of humanitarian aid. Palestinian poets, novelists, journalists, and writers of all kinds have been targeted; “more than 200 of the 325 registered sites in Gaza considered of national or global historic, archaeological, natural, religious and humanitarian importance have been destroyed or severely damaged,” according to the Institute for Palestine Studies. We cannot ignore the staggering loss of life in Gaza, the wide-ranging devastation, and the corresponding cultural catastrophe. Justice for the lives of slaughtered civilians will not arrive with the slaughter of more civilians. 

CAT is an organization devoted to the power of language and story to build and deepen connection, so it is essential for us to make our commitments and connectedness visible as a form of solidarity and care. We recognize that this is a divisive issue for many, but we feel an urgency to speak out against the censorship taking place within our industry, and to affirm that writers, translators, and literary spaces are central to the ongoing work of voicing sorrow, outrage, and dissent, and of bearing witness—and that being one of those spaces is central to our politics.

Our work honors underrepresented and marginalized voices, including Palestinian voices and voices from the Palestinian diaspora. In the weeks and months that follow, we will do our part to uplift Palestinian writers and translators of Arabic: we will spotlight writing we have published over the last 24 years, we will seek out new work to share with you online, we will add more Palestinian poetry to our educational materials, and we will develop events and partnerships that center Palestinian voices. We welcome your suggestions and contributions.

We also want to extend our fellowship to Jewish writers and translators of Hebrew in our community at this extremely difficult, tumultuous moment. We want to make sure you know that we reject antisemitism, and we will not conflate Jewish identity with the actions of Israel’s government.

Animating our efforts and galvanizing our staff is a belief that literature inspires empathy, deepens understanding, and connects readers across time, cultures, and borders. CAT believes that literature contributes to greater cultural comprehension and greater well-being, and it nurtures our feeling of belonging. We believe literature can lead us on a path toward increased equity, justice, and peace.

Words are not enough. We at CAT want to match our words with concrete actions. We pledge that $15,000 of Two Lines Press book sales this spring will be divided equally among two organizations:

Thank you for reading, and thank you for being a part of our community.