At last year’s Giller Prize, two protesters rushed the stage carrying signs that read “Scotiabank funds genocide.” Seconds later, a third protester yelled, “Scotiabank currently has a $500-million stake in Elbit Systems,” calling out the relationship between the Gillers’ lead sponsor and one of Israel’s largest arms manufacturers.
Within two weeks, more than 1,500 authors had signed a petition calling on the Giller Foundation to cut ties with Scotiabank. Since then, two judges have resigned from the Giller Prize jury, and more than 30 authors have pulled their books from consideration for the 2024 awards.
Founded in 1993 by Canadian businessman Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife, Doris Giller, the $100,000 purse is the country’s heftiest literary prize. Jack’s daughter, Elana Rabinovitch, has been executive director since 2004 and believes that her non-profit has been put in an unreasonable position. Here, she speaks about the fallout from the foundation’s financial ties and the role of political protest in the arts.
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