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I Have Never Met Anti-Semitism in Britain... until Now
(Guardian-UK) Richard Zimler - I have been publishing my novels in the UK since 1998, when my first book, The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon, became a surprise bestseller. Whenever a new work of mine is released, I give talks at bookshops, libraries and literary festivals. After the launch of my newest novel in April, my book publicist informed me that he had just been turned down by two cultural organizations that had previously shown enthusiasm for hosting an event with me. He told me, "They asked me if you were Jewish, and the moment I said you were, they lost all interest." He believes they weren't anti-Semitic themselves but they feared a backlash if they extended an invitation to a Jewish writer. I was deeply shocked and upset. It made Britain seem like a place I didn't know and maybe never knew. Even just asking about my religious affiliation struck me as outrageous. Let's not get sidetracked with references to Israel. I have no connection with Israel. If you fail to be welcoming to Jewish writers and artists because you fear a backlash, then your cowardice makes it possible for the haters to have their way - to spread their irrational dislike of Jews and make shunning them seem acceptable. The writer is a best-selling novelist whose books have earned him a National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship in Fiction and have been translated into 20 languages.