UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has challenged Typewronger Books over its decision to cancel a poetry event after receiving complaints that its Jewish organizer had recited Zionist and racist poems at other venues.UKLFI wrote to the Edinburgh bookshop last Monday on behalf of Jewish poet Tracey S. Rosenberg, arguing that canceling her Dead Poets' Slam likely amounted to unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.The event, scheduled for early December, was a poetry competition in which performers would impersonate deceased poets and recite their work, with Rosenberg due to host the evening as Dorothy Parker, the acclaimed American poet.Bookstore initially advertised the proposalTypewronger Books initially welcomed the proposal, calling it an excellent idea, and advertised the event on Eventbrite, with tickets booked and performers signing up.However, the bookshop contacted Rosenberg on October 19, saying it had received complaints about potential safeguarding issues, including allegations that she had performed Zionist and racist poems at other Edinburgh open mic events and accused other poets of antisemitism for using the phrase “free Palestine.”In its email to Rosenberg, Typewronger Books stated that it did not want to create the impression that it supported Israel.“The perception that we'd support the State of Israel in the atrocities it has perpetrated on the Palestinians is not one we would welcome,” it said.“There can be no ambiguity here…
UK Lawyers for Israel challenge bookstore over canceling performance of Zionist poetry
The event, scheduled for early December, was a poetry competition in which performers would impersonate deceased poets and recite their work.
In brief
UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has challenged Typewronger Books over its decision to cancel a poetry event after receiving complaints that its Jewish organizer had recited Zionist and racist poems at other venues.UKLFI wrote to the Edinburgh bookshop last Monday on behalf of Jewish poet Tracey S. Rosenberg, arguing that canceling her Dead Poets' Slam likely amounted to unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.The event, scheduled for early December, was a poetry competition in which performers would impersonate deceased poets and recite their work, with Rosenberg due to host the evening as Dorothy Parker, the acclaimed American poet.Bookstore initially advertised the proposalTyp…
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