Palestine book by Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari pulled from Random House before release
Authors Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari terminated their agreement with Penguin Random House in September, pulling a children's book about Palestine before its release. The decision followed months of disagreements over the manuscript, specifically regarding editorial changes to Palestinian history and the characterization of the October 7 attacks. While some reports highlight a dispute over a single sentence, others indicate broader conflicts over the Nakba and the justification of the October 7 events. The authors withdrew the work after the publisher challenged their framing of these historical and current events.
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- ✓ Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari pulled their Palestine book from Random House before release.
- ✓ The book was intended for young readers.
- ✓ The authors and publisher disagreed over the characterization of October 7.
- ✓ The dispute involved edits to Palestinian history and the Nakba.
What changed
Reports now specify that the agreement was terminated in September following months of editorial disputes.
Live updates
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Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari withdraw Palestine children's book from Random House
Authors Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari terminated their agreement with Penguin Random House in September, pulling a children's book about Palestine before its release. The decision followed months of disagreements over the manuscript, specifically regarding editorial changes to Palestinian history and the characterization of the October 7 attacks. While some reports highlight a dispute over a single sentence, others indicate broader conflicts over the Nakba and the justification of the October 7 events. The authors withdrew the work after the publisher challenged their framing of these historical and current events.
Why it matters
The dispute centers on the tension between editorial authority and the representation of historical narratives for young readers. Alana Hadid is the sister of models Gigi and Bella Hadid. The conflict reflects wider debates over how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is presented in educational materials.
What is confirmed
- Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari pulled their Palestine book from Random House before release.
- The book was intended for young readers.
- The authors and publisher disagreed over the characterization of October 7.
- The dispute involved edits to Palestinian history and the Nakba.
Still unconfirmed
- A dispute over one sentence derailed the project.
- The publisher specifically challenged the justification of October 7 attacks.
What to watch next
- Public release of the disputed manuscript segments
- Statements from Penguin Random House regarding the editorial changes
- Announcement of a new publisher for the authors
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (8)
- The Guardian — Palestine book by Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari pulled from Random House before release
- i24NEWS — Alana Hadid Pulls Palestine Book After Publisher Challenges Justification Of October 7 Attacks
- Yeni Şafak English — Palestinian authors pull book over Penguin edits to Nakba, Oct. 7
- Yahoo — Gigi and Bella Hadid’s Sister Alana Pulls Children’s Book About Palestine After Dispute With Publisher
- Anadolu Ajansı — Authors pull Palestine book from Penguin Random House over edits to Palestinian history
- www.theguardian.com — Palestine book by Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari pulled from ...
- tribune.com.pk — Alana Hadid, Jenan Matari pull Palestine book from Random ...
- www.timesnownews.com — Why Alana Hadid's Children's Book On Palestine Was Withdrawn ...
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