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This was published 7 months ago
Top writers boycott State Library Victoria over accusations of censorship
The controversy over the State Library Victoria’s decision to cancel workshops run by authors who expressed pro-Palestinian views has escalated with some of the nation’s most respected authors launching a boycott of the 170-year-old institution.
Double Miles Franklin award winner Michelle de Kretser, Patrick White award winner Tony Birch and Victorian Prize for Literature winner Grace Yee have refused to work with State Library Victoria, citing concerns over its decision to cancel events hosted by writers Omar Sakr, Jinghua Qian, Alison Evans and Ariel Ries.
Double Miles Franklin award winner Michelle de Kretser.Credit: Joy Lai
The writers, who were to lead the library’s Teen Bootcamp workshops, were told in March that their services were terminated, with State Library management claiming concerns over “child and cultural safety”. All four had spoken publicly about their support for Palestine and criticised Israel’s invasion of Gaza following Hamas’ attacks on Israel last year. The library has continued to run other programs for children since then.
Birch, who is also a professor of Australian literature at Melbourne University, has declined any further work with the library, de Kretser has declined a significant writing commission from the library, and Yee withdrew from an artists-and-writers-in-residence program over the issue.
Four of the six writers who had been contracted to run the Teen Writing Bootcamps for State Library Victoria (clockwise from top left) Ariel Slamet Ries, Omar Sakr, Alison Evans and Jinghua Qian.Credit: Marija Ercegovac
Several State Library staff, speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to talk publicly on the issue, told this masthead that Sakr’s social media commentary was specifically mentioned by library chief executive Paul Duldig as the reason for the cancellations in meetings with staff.
Two staff members who were in the room in one, and another staff member who heard it from people who had just left the meeting, said that when challenged about his looking at Sakr’s public commentary, Duldig allegedly responded: “You call it profiling, I call it risk management.”
The library did not respond to specific questions about Duldig’s comments to staff.
As this masthead reported last month, more than 100 staff at the State Library subsequently wrote to its chief executive expressing anger at the postponement of the workshops.
A public letter from the cancelled Bootcamp writers expressing their dismay and asking for answers has been sent to State Library management, featuring just under 1000 signatures, including Christos Tsiolkas and Maxine Beneba Clarke.
A library spokesperson said the decision to defer the Teen Writing Bootcamp was not based on the political beliefs or identity of anyone involved with the program. “We don’t comment on the interpretation of an individual’s views or backgrounds. Their personal views are their own and the Library is apolitical.”
State Library Victoria is undertaking a review and says the bootcamps will be rescheduled later this year.
Melbourne-based poet Grace Yee, winner of the Victorian Prize for Literature.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Yee, the winner of this year’s major prize in the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, said that in a democracy, libraries are repositories for diverse voices and stories. “As such, diversity, inclusion and equity are the public library’s raison d’etre,” she said. “Censorship of voices and opinions is not compatible with that.”
De Kretser described the State Library as a treasured public resource and said: “I could never have imagined that this cherished institution would turn against writers for political opinions that are widely held, in Australia and across the world, including by revered international institutions such as the International Court of Justice, to name just one.”
A State Library spokesperson said: “We are disappointed to hear that Michelle de Krester and Tony Birch are not wanting to work for or with the Library at the moment, based on their understanding around the postponement of the Teen Writing Bootcamp program.
De Kretser said she wants to express solidarity with the writers “whose Teen Bootcamp workshops were cancelled because they have voiced anti-genocide views”.
Author of The Age book of the year shortlisted Women & Children, Birch was due to work with the library on a program to engage secondary school students with Australian literature in the second half of this year or early next year.
“I am not able to do this in good faith while the current issue remains unresolved as I have no idea what constitutes ‘child safety’ in this instance,” he says. “I value the State Library of Victoria as a vital public institution. I have been visiting the Library for most of my life,” Birch says. “I do hope these issues can be resolved.”
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correction
This article originally stated Grace Yee turned down a writer-in-residence position at State Library Victoria, in fact she withdrew from an artists-and-writers-in-residence program.