Authors withdraw Palestine children's book from Penguin Random House after edit dispute
Palestinian American authors Jenan Matari and Alana Hadid pulled a children's history of Palestine from Random House Children's Books after disputes over edits on the Nakba and 7 October 2023. It will be published by Interlink in 2027.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 2Palestinian American authors Jenan Matari and Alana Hadid said on Thursday 15 October that they had withdrawn their children's book Displacement and the Palestinian American Story from Penguin Random House after disputes over edits. Anadolu AgencyN “Jenan Matari and Alana Hadid said on Thursday they withdrew Displacement and the Palestinian American Story after the publisher pressed for changes” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ The Media LineN “withdrew a planned children’s book about Palestinian history from Penguin Random House following disagreements over passages” Read at The Media Line ↗ Centre · 2Random House Children's Books signed the book in November 2024 with Hadid, an activist and older sister of models Bella and Gigi Hadid, and Matari, an author and communications strategist. Anadolu AgencyN “Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House, signed the book in November 2024” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ The Media LineN “signed their publishing agreement in November 2024” Read at The Media Line ↗ Centre · 2According to The Guardian, which first reported the story, the authors pulled the book in early September after a Random House editor added, without their approval, a line saying the 7 October attack was "a violation of international law". Anadolu AgencyN “after a Random House editor added, without their approval, a line saying of the Hamas's Oct. 7 attack: “These actions were a violation of international law.”” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ The Media LineN “editors inserted language stating that Hamas’ October 7 attacks violated international law” Read at The Media Line ↗
Centre · 2The publisher also questioned or suggested removing "Jewish" as a modifier, including where the authors described Zionist militias involved in destroying Palestinian villages during the Nakba as "Jewish gangs". Anadolu AgencyN “Random House also suggested removing “Jewish” as a modifier in several places” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ The Media LineN “The publisher also questioned repeated references to Jewish identity in descriptions of armed Zionist groups during the 1948 war” Read at The Media Line ↗ Centre · 1In August the publisher proposed adding a "publisher's note" on 7 October and raising the age range from 10 and up to 14 and up, according to emails cited by The Guardian. Anadolu AgencyN “the publisher proposed adding a “publisher’s note” on Oct. 7 and raising the age range from 10 and up to 14 and up” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Centre · 1The Media Line says the book had been scheduled for September as part of the Race to the Truth series, for readers aged 10 to 13, and that Saira Rao, who helped create the series, will end future collaborations with Random House; the publisher said another instalment remains scheduled for 2028. The Media LineN “Saira Rao, who helped create the Race to the Truth series, said she would discontinue future collaborations with Random House”“The publisher said another installment remained scheduled for 2028.” Read at The Media Line ↗
Centre · 1Matari wrote on Instagram that the authors would not abandon their "moral compasses" to be published; Hadid told the Guardian it became clear Penguin "was never actually going to allow us just to write the book we wanted to write". Anadolu AgencyN ““It became clear that Penguin was never actually going to allow us just to write the book we wanted to write,” Hadid told the newspaper.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Centre · 2A Random House spokesperson said the process followed standard bookmaking procedures, that changes were meant to help younger readers understand contentious history, that it respected the decision to withdraw, and that it remained committed to publishing Palestinian perspectives. Anadolu AgencyN “the process “followed our standard bookmaking procedures” and that the publisher supported the authors’ decision to withdraw the book” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ The Media LineN “remained committed to publishing Palestinian perspectives” Read at The Media Line ↗ Centre · 2The book will be published in 2027 by Interlink, a Palestinian-owned American publisher, which lists it for preorder as Understanding Palestine for Young Readers: A Palestinian American Perspective. Anadolu AgencyN “Interlink is listing it for preorder as Understanding Palestine for Young Readers: A Palestinian American Perspective.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ The Media LineN “Interlink Books, a Palestinian-owned American publisher, which plans to release their work in 2027” Read at The Media Line ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both report the authors' withdrawal largely via The Guardian: Anadolu leads with the authors' account and quotes; The Media Line frames it as an editorial dispute and adds context on Hamas.
- Emphasis
- Anadolu stresses the authors' quotes about not betraying their people; The Media Line stresses publisher's rationale, the Race to the Truth series and Human Rights Watch's findings on the 7 October attacks.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Anadolu omits the series name, the age-range target and Saira Rao's departure; The Media Line omits the authors' Instagram quotes and the Guardian's date of early September.
- Charged language
- “condemn our resistance in colonial terms”“Palestinian-owned American publisher”
- For example
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“rather than let it rewrite their account of the Nakba and the Oct. 7, 2023 attack” — Anadolu Agency
“Human Rights Watch has separately concluded that Hamas-led armed groups committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the attacks” — The Media Line
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Hadid and Matari withdrew the book from Random House Children's Books, signed in November 2024.
- The dispute involved a line calling the 7 October attack a violation of international law and the use of 'Jewish' to describe Zionist militias.
- Random House said it respected the decision to withdraw.
- Interlink will publish the book in 2027.
Where accounts differ
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Nature of the edits
- Centre
- Anadolu presents the authors' view that changes would strip the Palestinian perspective; The Media Line says Random House described its changes as helping younger readers understand contentious events. Random House told the Guardian the process followed standard procedures.
Penguin Random House organisation
Says its process followed standard bookmaking procedures, that changes helped younger readers understand contentious history, that it supports the authors' decision and remains committed to publishing Palestinian perspectives.
“followed our standard bookmaking procedures” — Anadolu Agency
“remained committed to publishing Palestinian perspectives” — The Media Line
Middle East1 outlet
Anadolu foregrounds the authors' account and their rejection of changes to the Nakba and 7 October passages.
“We will never betray our own people for anyone’s comfort” — Anadolu Agency
Anadolu Agency
Israel1 outlet
The Media Line frames an editorial dispute, adding Human Rights Watch's conclusions on the 7 October attacks.
“Random House defended its editorial procedures, saying changes were intended to help younger readers understand contentious historical events.” — The Media Line
The Media Line
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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Authors pull Palestine book from Penguin Random House over edits to Palestinian history
Sympathetic Leads with the authors walking away rather than let the publisher rewrite their account, using their quotes prominently.
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Neutral Presents an editorial dispute, including the publisher's rationale and added context on Human Rights Watch's findings.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 15 Oct 21:19 First Anadolu AgencyN Authors pull Palestine book from Penguin Random House over edits to Palestinian history
- 16 Oct 10:35 +13h 16m The Media LineN Palestinian Authors Withdraw Children’s History Book From Penguin Random House Over Editorial Dispute
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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