In all honesty, getting back to the business of bookselling and telling you about our latest releases feels a bit strange to me–even insensitive. Over the past few weeks I’ve spent a lot of time thinking, reflecting, and looking inwardly at how complicit I am in the racist structures of a culture and society I have long opposed and worked hard to change. But the recent anti-racist protests are also a stark reminder of why the work that we do here at Interlink is so vital, and our community of readers and supporters so central to our struggle for a just world.
Our 33-year-old, family-run, independent publishing house is largely managed by people of color. Though our experience has been different, as Palestinian-Americans, we are well aware of the discrimination and biases of the white-centric world we live in. That is why we are committed to working even harder to supporting–and collaborating with–the Black community and other communities of color in our shared battle to end systemic racism once and for all. My friend Jim Hicks, Executive Editor of the Massachusetts Review, expressed it eloquently when he said: “Every person of every color, creed, and class, in this country and across the world, has witnessed the trail of Black bodies that brought us to this day.”
While words matter greatly, I believe that actions matter more. From day one, our editorial mission has been to honor and amplify marginalized voices–with special emphasis on the unheard voices of women writers from the Middle East–and offer a platform to tell their stories, which otherwise may never be told. But despite the clarity of our founding mission, we acknowledge our shortcomings and are taking concrete steps to further educate ourselves, challenge our own implicit biases, and take actions to grow.Â
Today, our will to fight for what we believe in is stronger than ever before. But we are facing inconceivable challenges and can’t do it without your help. You can support us by ordering books online directly from us–or from your local independent bookseller if possible. Your purchases will help us stay afloat so that we can keep fighting back with important books from writers that deserve to be published and young emerging voices that are making waves, opening our eyes, touching our hearts, and challenging our perspectives, prejudices, and preconceptions. If you value our work, but are not able to buy books at this time, you can help immensely by telling others about our books and what we do. Thank you for helping us get through these tough economic times caused by the virus.
Below are my picks of the week. We have extended our offer of free shipping within the US. Thank you for your support and stay healthy and safe.
With gratitude,
Michel Moushabeck
Founder/Publisher/Editor
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