Authors withdraw children’s Palestine book after disputes over publisher’s edits
Penguin Random House pulled a planned book on Palestine for young readers after its Palestinian American authors, Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari, withdrew it amid disputes over editorial changes. The disagreement matters because it exposed a sharp divide over how the history of Palestine and the 7 October 2023 attacks could be presented in a book for children by a major publisher.
The book, *Displacement and the Palestinian American Story*, was intended for readers aged 10 to 13 and was due in September. Hadid and Matari objected to edits they said misrepresented their views; the publisher said it followed its usual process and supported their decision to withdraw. The authors plan to publish through Palestinian-owned Interlink Books, while a co-creator said she would not pursue further series instalments with Penguin Random House.
- Authors withdrew a planned Palestine book after editorial disputes.
- The book was aimed at readers aged 10 to 13.
- They plan to publish it through Interlink Books.
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Books about Palestine can cover a long and contested history, including the experiences of Palestinians who left their homes and their descendants. For younger readers, authors and publishers must decide how to explain that history in language suited to children.
Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari are Palestinian American writers who worked on a book for readers aged 10 to 13. Penguin Random House is a large publishing company; Interlink Books is a Palestinian-owned publisher.
The disagreement reflects wider differences over how to describe Palestinian history and the 7 October 2023 attacks in children’s books. Such choices can shape what young readers encounter and how families and educators discuss the subject.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A major publisher has a responsibility to make a book for 10- to 13-year-olds accurate, accessible and carefully framed, especially when it addresses painful, contested history and the 7 October attacks. Its usual editorial process may have been intended to meet those standards, while the authors’ decision to withdraw and publish elsewhere respects their right to stand by the account they believe represents their views.
The case against
The authors have particular standing to shape how their own family and community story is told, and editorial changes they believe misrepresent their views could undermine the book’s purpose and readers’ trust. Publishing with a Palestinian-owned press may give them more control over the framing, while the dispute raises a reasonable concern that standard procedures can still produce changes that authors find unacceptable.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Palestine book co-written by Alana Hadid pulled from Random House just before release”.