LONDON – British Pakistani Author Kamila Shamsie faces big setback overraising voice for Palestine.
She has been deprived of the top prize over her support to Palestinianpeople.
German city revised its decision to award celebrated British-Pakistaniauthor Kamila Shamsie the Nelly Sachs Prize over her support for thepro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The city of Dortmund had announced on September 6 to award its Nelly SachsPrize — bestowed by the City Council and worth $16,500 — to Shamsie butrevised its decision less than two weeks later after an eight-member juryheld a meeting.
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In a statement, the jury said: “Despite prior research, the members of thejury were not aware that the author has been participating in the boycottmeasures against the Israeli government for its Palestinian policies since2014.
“Kamila Shamsie’s political positioning to actively participate in thecultural boycott as part of the BDS (Boycott Disinvestment Sanctions)campaign against the Israeli government is clearly in contradiction to thestatutory objectives of the award and the spirit of the Nelly Sachs Prize.
