Palestinian authors pull book over Penguin edits to Nakba, Oct. 7

Editorial dispute over historical narrative

Jenan Matari and Alana Hadid withdrew Displacement and the Palestinian American Story from Penguin Random House after the publisher pressed for alterations to their treatment of the Nakba and the Oct. 7 attack, according to The Guardian. The authors, who signed with Random House Children's Books in November 2024, rejected demands to modify descriptions of Zionist militias and to add unauthorized language regarding international law violations. They announced the book will now appear in 2027 through Interlink Publishing under the title Understanding Palestine for Young Readers: A Palestinian American Perspective.

Authors cite 'moral compass' in withdrawal

Matari wrote on Instagram that the authors faced pressure to "abandon our moral compasses and condemn our resistance in colonial terms just to be published," noting that she and Hadid chose to stand by their community instead. "We will never betray our own people for anyone's comfort – and especially never for personal success," she said. Hadid told The Guardian that "it became clear that Penguin was never actually going to allow us just to write the book we wanted to write," explaining why they terminated the contract.

Publisher's proposed changes

The dispute centered on specific alterations demanded by Random House editors, including the unauthorized insertion of a line describing the Oct. 7 attack as "a violation of international law," according to the report. The publisher also suggested removing the modifier "Jewish" from passages describing Zionist militias as "Jewish gangs" during the 1948 Nakba, and proposed raising the age range from 10 to 14 while adding a publisher's note on the attack, the newspaper said.

Penguin Random House response

A Random House spokesperson told The Guardian the process had followed "standard bookmaking procedures" and that the publisher respected the authors' choice to withdraw. Interlink Publishing has now listed the volume for preorder under its new title, with publication set for 2027.