The Giller Prize (known as the Scotiabank Giller Prize from 2005-2023) is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries. The prize was established in 1994 by Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife Doris Giller , a former literary editor at the Toronto Star , and is awarded in November of each year along with a cash reward (then CAN$ 25,000) with the winner being presented by the previous year's winning author.
87-553: Since its inception, the Giller Prize has been awarded to emerging and established authors from both small independent and large publishing houses in Canada. From 1994 to 2004, the prize included a bronze figure created by artist Yehouda Chaki . The current prize includes a trophy designed by Soheil Mosun . On September 22, 2005, the Giller Prize established an endorsement deal with Canadian bank Scotiabank . The total prize package for
174-407: A vanity press or self-publishing service, a small press rarely publishes books written by the owner or publisher. Instead, these are small businesses, often with only a few employees, who select books written by other authors. There is now also a distinction made between small presses and micro-presses. A micro-press can be defined as a publisher that produces chapbooks and other small books on
261-434: A year old baby, his 4-year-old brother and their mother , 13 women aged 18–39, and 85 men, some over 80. Thousands of Palestinians remain in administrative detention . A Hamas official said that after the exchange, the only remaining hostages were civilian men and soldiers, and refused to exchange them until "all our prisoners are freed" and there is a ceasefire. US National Security Advisor Kirby said "Hamas agreed to allow
348-548: A different format than previous years, being taped for later rebroadcast rather than being aired live, although organizers and the CBC attributed this to increasingly common practice for awards ceremonies (such as the Canadian Screen Awards , which have also been broadcast in recent years as tape-delayed one-hour "highlights" specials rather than full live ceremonies) rather than the protests. Despite this, protestors still picketed
435-413: A misfired Palestinian rocket as the cause, but stated that further investigation was required. Forensic Architecture 's investigation, as reported by The New York Times , Bloomberg News , BBC News , and El País , disputed Israel's account, concluding instead that the blast was the result of a munition fired from the direction of Israel. A second report by Forensic Architecture took into account
522-593: A month after the start of Israel's military operation in Gaza , protestors interrupted the Giller ceremony to object to Scotiabank's sponsorship of the prize, given the bank's reported $ 500m investment in Israel-based arms manufacturer Elbit Systems . In response to their arrests, an open letter was circulated in solidarity with the protestors, which was signed by more than 2,000 people, including past winners, finalists, and jurors of
609-566: A part of the order, the IDF announced a six-hour window from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time on 13 October, for refugees to flee south along specified routes within the Gaza Strip. An explosion at 5:30 p.m. along one of the safe routes killed 70 Palestinians. Israel and Hamas blamed each other for the attack. The IDF said Hamas set up roadblocks to keep Gaza residents from evacuating south and caused traffic jams. Israeli officials stated this
696-451: A senior commander on the scene. The nearby Indonesia Hospital 's surgical director said they had received 120 dead bodies and treated 280 wounded, the majority of them women and children. The attack resulted in several ambassador recalls. According to The New York Times at least two 2,000-pound bombs, the second largest type in Israel's arsenal, were used. On 31 October, Israel bombed
783-520: A severe hunger crisis, with a high risk of famine persisting as of November 2024 . By early 2024, Israeli forces had destroyed or damaged over half of Gaza's houses, at least a third of its tree cover and farmland , most of its schools and universities , hundreds of cultural landmarks , and at least a dozen cemeteries . Nearly all of the strip's 2.3 million Palestinian population have been forcibly displaced . Over 100,000 Israelis were internally displaced as of February 2024. Throughout
870-406: A six-story apartment building in central Gaza, killing at least 106 civilians including 54 children in what Human Rights Watch called an "apparent war crime." On 1 November, the first group of evacuees left Gaza for Egypt. 500 evacuees, comprising critically wounded and foreign nationals, would be evacuated over the course of several days, with 200 evacuees already waiting at the border crossing. On
957-454: A small likely market. Many presses are also associated with crowdfunding efforts that help connect authors with readers. Small presses tend to fill the niches that larger publishers neglect. They can focus on regional titles, narrow specializations and niche genres. They can also make up for commercial clout by creating a reputation for academic knowledge, vigorously pursuing prestigious literature prizes and spending more effort nurturing
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#17328523323011044-438: A small number of copies to the author's friends. Small presses should not be confused with printers . Small presses are traditional publishers, which means that they engage in a book selection process, along with editing, marketing and distribution. Small presses also enter into a contract with the author, often paying royalties for being allowed to sell the book. Publishers own the copies they have printed, but usually do not own
1131-601: A spine-bound book. In doing this, small press publishers are eligible for grants from the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council . Small presses should not be confused with self-publishing presses (sometimes called " vanity presses "). Self-publishing or subsidy presses usually require payment by authors, or a minimum purchase of copies. By comparison, small presses make their profits by selling books to consumers, rather than selling services to authors or selling
1218-469: A temporary ceasefire agreement, providing for a four-day pause in hostilities to allow for the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza. The deal also provided for the release of approximately 150 Palestinian women and children incarcerated by Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated Israel's intention to continue the war. Following the introduction of a Qatari-brokered truce on 24 November, starting at 7:00 am Israel time , active fighting in
1305-648: A total blockade under pressure from US President Joe Biden and a deal was made on 19 October for Israel and Egypt to allow aid into Gaza. The first aid convoy after the start of the war entered Gaza on 21 October 2023, while fuel did not enter Gaza until November. On 13 October, the IDF called for the evacuation of all civilians in Gaza City to areas south of the Wadi Gaza within 24 hours. The Hamas Authority for Refugee Affairs responded by telling residents in northern Gaza to "remain steadfast in your homes and stand firm in
1392-416: A very small scale (e.g. 50 copies of one book per year). It can also be defined in terms of revenue. Micro-presses are often run as a hobby or part-time job because of their low profits. They may not produce enough profit to support their owners. In Canada , these are considered small press publishers, but the standard small press book run is accepted at 300 copies of a chapbook and 500 or more copies of
1479-718: Is generally defined as publishers that are not part of large conglomerates or multinational corporations . Even when owned by a larger business, an independent press is allowed to choose which books to publish, and the business will survive or fail as a result of how well those books sell. Many small presses rely on specialization in genre fiction , poetry , or limited-edition books or magazines , but there are also thousands that focus on niche non-fiction markets. Other terms for small press, sometimes distinguished from each other and sometimes used interchangeably, are small publishers, independent publishers, or indie presses. Independent publishers (as defined above) made up about half of
1566-456: Is in fact a quartet: Bertelsmann also owns 25 percent of McClelland & Stewart , and now manages M&S’s marketing." Henighan added that all of the Giller Prize winners from 1994 to 2004, with the exception of Mordecai Richler , lived within a two-hour drive of downtown Toronto. The article raised debate within the media and in the wider public over the credibility of the Giller Prize. Henighan revisited that article in 2015. In 2010, there
1653-640: The Axis of Resistance have attacked American military bases in the Middle East . Additionally, the Yemeni Houthi movement have engaged in attacks in the Red Sea on commercial vessels allegedly linked to Israel, incurring a US-led military response . The ongoing exchange of strikes between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel escalated into an Israeli invasion of Lebanon on 1 October 2024. The 1948 Palestine war saw
1740-679: The International Court of Justice published in July 2024 affirmed the occupation as being illegal and said it violated Article 3 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination , which prohibits racial segregation and apartheid. The attacks took place during the Jewish holidays of Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret on Shabbat , and one day after
1827-656: The Israeli occupation ; the First and Second Intifadas in 1987 and 2000 respectively, with the latter's end seeing Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been governed by Hamas , an Islamist militant group, while the West Bank remained under the control of the Fatah -led Palestinian Authority . After Hamas' takeover, Israel imposed a blockade of
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#17328523323011914-463: The Netiv HaAsara massacre . In Sderot, gunmen targeted civilians and set houses ablaze. In Ofakim , hostages were taken during Hamas's deepest incursion. In Be'eri , Hamas militants took up to 50 people hostage . At least 325 people were killed and more injured at an outdoor music festival near Re'im and Hamas took at least 37 attendees hostage. Around 240 people were taken hostage during
2001-581: The Re'im music festival massacre . The Israeli police denied the Haaretz report. A subsequent Israeli investigation claimed that militants had been instructed not to run so that the air force would think they were Israelis. This deception worked for some time, but pilots began to realize the problem and ignore their restrictions. By around 9:00 am, some helicopters started laying down fire without prior authorization. A July 2024 Haaretz investigation revealed that
2088-460: The Red Cross access to these hostages" during the pause, which "didn't happen and is still not happening". The Palestinian Prisoners' Club said that although 240 Palestinian prisoners were released as part of the ceasefire deal, another 240 Palestinians were incarcerated. Released Palestinian prisoners reported mistreatment including beatings, overcrowding, food deprivation, and suspension of access to
2175-941: The Stella Prize , the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Fiction and the Miles Franklin Literary Award . There was a strong upward trend in the number of titles published by small press and shortlisted for the Miles Franklin and the PM's Fiction Awards in the two years preceding 2017. The Small Press Network (SPN), located at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne , represents small and independent publishers in Australia, which promotes independent publishing and supports diversity within
2262-732: The Yom Kippur War in 1973. It is the deadliest war for Palestinians in the history of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict . The war began when Hamas-led militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October, which involved a rocket barrage and a few thousand militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier , attacking Israeli civilian communities and military bases. During this attack, 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, including 815 civilians. In addition, 251 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive into Gaza , with
2349-488: The market share of the book publishing industry in the United States in 2007. The majority of small presses are independent or indie publishers, meaning that they are separate from the handful of major publishing house conglomerates, such as Random House or Hachette . Since the profit margins for small presses can be narrow, many are driven by other motives, including the desire to help disseminate literature with only
2436-538: The "destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad ". The Israel Electric Corporation , which supplies 80% of the Gaza Strip's electricity, cut off power to the area. This reduced Gaza's power supply from 120 MW to 20 MW, provided by power plants paid for by the Palestinian Authority. On 9 or 10 October, Hamas offered to release all civilian hostages held in Gaza if Israel would call off its planned invasion of
2523-469: The 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War , which also began with a surprise attack on Israel. At around 6:30 a.m. IDT (UTC+03:00) on 7 October 2023, Hamas announced the start of what it called " Operation Al-Aqsa Flood ", stating it had fired over 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel within a span of 20 minutes. Israeli sources reported that at least 3,000 projectiles had been launched from Gaza. At least five people were killed by
2610-608: The 7 October attack was a calculated effort to create a "permanent" state of war and revive interest in the Palestinian cause. After the initial breach of the Gaza perimeter by Palestinian militants, it took hours for the IDF to start its counter-attack. The first helicopters sent to support the military were launched from the north of Israel, and arrived at the Gaza Strip an hour after fighting began. They encountered difficulty in determining which outposts and communities were occupied, and distinguishing between Palestinian militants and
2697-768: The Gaza Strip , that significantly damaged its economy . The blockade was justified by Israel citing security concerns, but international rights groups have characterized the blockade as a form of collective punishment . Due to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip , UNRWA reported that 81% of people were living below the poverty level in 2023, with 63% being food insecure and dependent on international assistance. Since 2007, Israel and Hamas, along with other Palestinian militant groups based in Gaza, have engaged in conflict, including in four wars in 2008–2009 , 2012 , 2014 , and 2021 . These conflicts killed approximately 6,400 Palestinians and 300 Israelis . In 2018–2019, there were large weekly organized protests near
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2784-486: The Gaza Strip ceased and some of the Israeli and foreign hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for the release of some of the Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel. The truce was announced for a period of four days but was extended for a longer period. From 24 to 30 November, Hamas released hostages and Israel released prisoners. On 27 November, Qatar announced that an agreement between Israel and Hamas to extend
2871-417: The Gaza Strip, but the Israeli government rejected the offer. The IDF declared a "state of readiness for war", mobilized tens of thousands of army reservists , and declared a state of emergency for areas within 80 kilometers (50 mi) of Gaza. The Yamam counterterrorism unit was deployed, along with four new divisions, augmenting 31 existing battalions. Reservists were reported deployed in Gaza, in
2958-475: The Gaza Strip. In a televised broadcast, Netanyahu said, "We are at war". He threatened to "turn all the places where Hamas is organized and hiding into cities of ruins", called Gaza "the city of evil", and urged its residents to leave. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant conducted security assessments at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv . Overnight, Israel's Security Cabinet voted to act to bring about
3045-598: The Gaza-Israel border , which were violently suppressed by Israel, whose forces killed hundreds and injured thousands of Palestinians by sniper fire. Soon after the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis began, Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades , started planning the 7 October 2023 operation against Israel. According to diplomats, Hamas had repeatedly said in the months leading up to October 2023 that it did not want another military escalation in Gaza as it would worsen
3132-764: The Giller Book Club, featuring virtual author readings and interviews, got off to a bumpy start when the inaugural offering was the victim of zoombombing . Since Rabinovitch's death in 2017, the Giller Prize Foundation is now overseen by his daughter Elana Rabinovitch. Following Vincent Lam 's win of the Giller Prize in 2006, Geist columnist Stephen Henighan criticized the Giller Prize for its apparent dependency for its shortlists and winners on books published by Bertelsmann AG -affiliated Canadian publishing houses, all of which are based in Toronto . Arguing that
3219-546: The Giller Foundation does not actually have any meaningful leverage to make demands of Scotiabank, and any attempt to do so would merely result in the award not only losing Scotiabank's sponsorship, but effectively rendering itself into an unsponsorable award as no other major corporation would ever agree to the award imposing political conditions on its participation either. She further doubted that any of this would actually help Palestinians at all. The 2024 ceremony followed
3306-604: The Giller Prize has run different promotions to extend its recognition and support of Canadian literary talent to highlight all Canadian fiction eligible for the prize in a given publishing year. For example, the Craving CanLit feature (previously called Crazy for CanLit), which highlights the initial list of all titles that are under consideration for the award's longlist and shortlist nominations, seeks to publicize Canadian literature by engaging readers and writers through social media tools. Another online initiative started in 2021,
3393-517: The IDF ordered the Hannibal Directive to be used, adding: "Haaretz does not know whether or how many civilians and soldiers were hit due to these procedures, but the cumulative data indicates that many of the kidnapped people were at risk, exposed to Israeli gunfire, even if they were not the target." At 7:18 a.m., an observation post reported someone had been kidnapped at the Erez crossing, close to
3480-463: The IDF released a review exonerating itself, but it left many at Kibbutz Be'eri unsatisfied and contradicted the testimony from one of the survivors, Yasmin Porat, who told Israel's Kan radio on 15 October that Hamas gunmen had not threatened the hostages and instead intended to negotiate with police for their safe return to Gaza. She said an Israeli police special unit had started the gun battle by firing upon
3567-476: The IDF's liaison office. At 6:40 p.m. military intelligence believed militants were intending to flee back to Gaza in an organized manner from near Kibbutz Be'eri, Kfar Azza and Kissufim. In response the army launched artillery at the border fence area, very close to some of these communities. Shells were also fired at the Erez border crossing shortly thereafter. The IDF said it was not aware of any civilians being hurt in these bombardments. 14 hostages were in
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3654-507: The IDF's role in fostering uncertainty through misinformation. On 27 October, the IDF launched a large-scale, multi-pronged ground incursion into parts of northern Gaza. The IDF was building up a force of over 100,000 soldiers in the cities of Ashkelon , Sderot and Kiryat Gat . Clashes between Hamas and the IDF were reported near Beit Hanoun and Bureij . Israeli airstrikes targeted the area around al-Quds hospital , where around 14,000 civilians were believed to be sheltering in or near
3741-462: The IDF, and the ongoing conflict prevented independent on-site analysis. Palestinian statements that it was an Israeli airstrike were denied by the IDF, which stated that the explosion resulted from a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad . The PIJ denied any involvement. The cause of the explosion at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital is contested. In the days after the blast, US, Canadian, French and UK defense and intelligence services concluded it
3828-451: The Syrian civil war Israel–Yemen conflict Nuclear program of Iran International incidents An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas -led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place in the Gaza Strip and Israel since 7 October 2023. It is the fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict since 2008, and the most significant military engagement in the region since
3915-479: The USA. The unprecedented proliferation of small and independent publishers at the time was a result of the so-called ' Mimeo Revolution ' and the proliferation of DIY and affordable reproduction technologies. A recent burgeoning of small presses has been caused by the introduction of digital printing , especially print on demand technology. Combined with Internet based marketing, digital typesetting, design tools with
4002-536: The West Bank, and along borders with Lebanon and Syria. Residents near Gaza were asked to stay inside, while civilians in southern and central Israel were "required to stay next to shelters". The southern region of Israel was closed to civilian movement, and roads were closed around Gaza and Tel Aviv. While Ben Gurion Airport and Ramon Airport remained operational, multiple airlines cancelled flights to and from Israel. Israel Railways suspended service in parts of
4089-422: The attacks , mostly civilians. Captives in Gaza included children, festivalgoers, peace activists, caregivers, elderly people, and soldiers. Hamas militants also reportedly engaged in mutilation, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence . The 7 October attack was described as "an intelligence failure for the ages" and a " failure of imagination " on the part of the Israeli government. A BBC report on
4176-404: The authors on the shortlist. In 2014, the prize package was expanded further, to $ 100,000 for the winning author and $ 10,000 for each of the shortlisted authors. If a translated work wins the award, however, then the prize money is split, with 70 per cent going to the original author and 30 per cent going to the translator. In 2015, the jury was expanded from three to five people. Over the years,
4263-505: The award was increased to $ 50,000, with $ 40,000 presented to the winning author and $ 2,500 each for the other four shortlisted nominees. The award's official name was also changed at that time to the Scotiabank Giller Prize. In 2006, the prize instituted a longlist for the first time, comprising no fewer than 10 and no more than 15 titles. In 2008, the prize fund was increased to $ 50,000 for the winning author and $ 5,000 for each of
4350-550: The border fence in five other places. Hamas militants also carried out an amphibious landing in Zikim . Militants killed civilians at Nir Oz , Be'eri , and Netiv HaAsara , and other agricultural communities , where they took hostages and set fire to homes. 52 civilians were killed in the Kfar Aza massacre , 108 in the Be'eri massacre (a loss of 10% of the kibbutz 's population) and 15 in
4437-473: The broader context of Israeli occupation as a cause of the war. The Associated Press wrote that Palestinians are "in despair over a never-ending occupation in the West Bank and suffocating blockade of Gaza". Several human rights organizations, including Amnesty International , B'Tselem and Human Rights Watch have likened the Israeli occupation to apartheid , although supporters of Israel dispute this characterization. However, an advisory opinion by
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#17328523323014524-404: The careers of new authors. At its most minimal, small press production consists of chapbooks . This role can now be taken on by desktop publishing and web sites . This still leaves a continuum of small press publishing: from specialist periodicals, short runs or print-to-order of low-demand books, to fine art books and limited editions of collectors' items printed to high standards. Unlike
4611-545: The controversy, Marsha Lederman of The Globe and Mail noted that several other Canadian literary awards, including the Amazon.ca First Novel Award and the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction , were not being targeted despite also being sponsored by companies with financial ties to Israel, and suggested that the primary reason for focusing solely on the Giller was that founder Jack Rabinovitch had been Jewish. She also noted that
4698-585: The copyright to the book itself. In contrast, printers merely print a book, and sometimes offer limited distribution if they are a POD printing press. Printers have a very low selectivity. They will accept nearly anyone who can pay the cost of printing. They rarely offer editing or marketing. Printers do not own the copies that are printed, and they do not pay royalties. Book packagers combine aspects of small presses and printers, but they are technically neither small presses nor printers. Small presses became distinguishable from jobbing printers at some time towards
4785-526: The country and replaced some routes with temporary bus routes, while cruise ships removed the ports of Ashdod and Haifa from their itineraries. Following the surprise attack, the Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes that they said targeted Hamas compounds, command centers, tunnels, and other targets. Israel employed its artificial intelligence Habsora ("The Gospel") software to automatically generate targets to be attacked. Two days after
4872-510: The end of the nineteenth century. The roots lie with the Arts and Crafts movement , particularly the Kelmscott Press . The use of small letterpress machines by amateur printers increased proportionately to the mechanization of commercial printing. Later, the advance of practical lithography made small press publication much easier. The 1960s and 1970s are considered the small press's golden age in
4959-409: The end, they turned to Douglas & McIntyre , a large West-coast publisher, to print copies of the book. The Gaspereau situation prompted an examination within the cultural community about what makes a book and the nature of publishing and marketing books. The book also became the top-selling title for Kobo eReaders , outselling even George W. Bush 's memoir Decision Points . In November 2023,
5046-500: The entry of food and fuel, saying "We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly". This drew criticism from Human Rights Watch (HRW) who described the order as "abhorrent" and as a "call to commit a war crime" and accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions over Gaza in violation of international law. On 10 October, an Israeli airstrike on a house in Deir al-Balah killed 18 people. Gallant backed down from implementing
5133-489: The establishment of Israel over most of what had been Mandatory Palestine , with the exception of two separated territories that became known as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip , which were held by Jordan and Egypt respectively. Following the 1967 Six-Day War , Israel occupied the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The upcoming period witnessed two popular uprisings by Palestinians against
5220-591: The face of this disgusting psychological war waged by the occupation". The statement by Israel faced widespread backlash with numerous agencies such as Doctors Without Borders , the World Health Organization , the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and others condemning it as "outrageous" and "impossible" while calling for an immediate reversal of the order. As
5307-413: The hospital. Associated Press reported that Israeli airstrikes also destroyed roads leading to Al-Shifa hospital , making it increasingly difficult to reach. The following day, the IDF struck Jabalia refugee camp , killing 50 and wounding 150 Palestinians. Israel said a senior Hamas commander and dozens of militants in an underground tunnel complex were among those killed. Hamas denied the presence of
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#17328523323015394-434: The hotel where the ceremony was taking place. Small press A small press is a publisher with annual sales below a certain level or below a certain number of titles published. The terms " indie publisher " and " independent press " and others are sometimes used interchangeably. However, when a distinction is drawn, there are about 100,000 small presses and about one million independent presses. Independent press
5481-492: The house of Pessi Cohen at Kibbutz Be'eri as the IDF attacked it, with 13 of them killed. Former Israeli Air Force officer Colonel Nof Erez said: "This was a mass Hannibal. It was tons and tons of openings in the fence, and thousands of people in every type of vehicle, some with hostages and some without." ABC News (Australia) said that not only soldiers but also Israeli civilians were targeted, citing testimonies from two incidents at Kibbutz Be'eri and Nir Oz. Six months later
5568-513: The house, catching "five or six" kibbutz residents outside in "very, very heavy crossfire". In the interview, she was asked: "So our forces may have shot them?" "Undoubtedly," she replied." The attack appeared to have been a complete surprise to the Israelis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency gathering of security authorities, and the IDF launched Operation Swords of Iron in
5655-422: The humanitarian crisis that occurred after the 2021 conflict. Hamas officials stated that the attack was a response to the Israeli occupation , blockade of the Gaza Strip , Israeli settler violence against Palestinians, restrictions on the movement of Palestinians , and imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians , whom Hamas sought to release by taking Israeli hostages. Numerous commentators have identified
5742-608: The industry "as a vital component of Australian literary culture". Founded in 2006, it has grown to represent more than 140 members in Australia and New Zealand . Its members include such publishers as the Griffith Review , National Library of Australia Publishing , Scribe and Wakefield Press , as well as many smaller publishers. Israel-Hamas war Ongoing Gaza Strip : West Bank : Militants inside Israel: Israel : Hezbollah–Israel conflict Gaza–Israel conflict Iran–Israel conflict during
5829-451: The intelligence failure commented that "it must have taken extraordinary levels of operational security by Hamas". Israeli officials later anonymously reported to Axios that the IDF and Shin Bet had detected abnormal movements by Hamas the day before the attack, but decided to wait for additional intelligence before raising the military's alert level. They also did not inform political leaders of
5916-695: The intelligence reports. A briefing in The Economist noted that "the assault dwarf[ed] all other mass murders of Israeli civilians", reasoning that "the last time before October 7th that this many Jews were murdered on a single day was during the Holocaust ." Hamas stated that its attack was a response to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements , rising Israeli settler violence and recent escalations at Al-Aqsa . Intelligence and security officials from multiple Western countries, along with Hamas political officials, claimed that
6003-509: The market was seen as a tough one in 1999, despite about 80 per cent of the Australian Publishers Association being small book publishers (defined as those with less than AU$ 2m), nearly all Australian-owned. In recent years, though, the small publishers have especially made gains as big publishers have backed away from publishing literary works. Small press publications have won some of the greatest literary prizes, including
6090-447: The most destructive bombing campaigns in modern history and invaded Gaza on 27 October with the stated objectives of destroying Hamas and freeing hostages. Since the start of the Israeli invasion, over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed , more than half of them women and children . Israel's tightened blockade cut off basic necessities and attacks on infrastructure have destroyed Gaza's healthcare system and caused
6177-538: The north. One of the airstrikes killed a senior Hamas military commander Ayman Nofal . In the afternoon, an Israeli strike hit a UNRWA school in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp , killing six and injuring 12. Late in the evening, an explosion occurred in the parking lot of the Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist Hospital in the center of Gaza City, killing hundreds. The cause of the explosion was disputed by Hamas and
6264-554: The prize. By March 2024, Scotiabank had divested nearly half of its stake in Elbit Systems. In July 2024, 19 authors presented a letter withdrawing their books from consideration for that year's prize and demanding the foundation pressure Scotiabank's full divestment from Elbit Systems, as well as ending the sponsorships by the Azrieli Foundation, Indigo, and Audible over their ties to Israel's occupation of Palestine. The letter
6351-483: The rise of eBooks , the new printing technologies have lowered the economic barriers to entry, allowing many new niches to be served, and many new publishers to enter the industry. A notable boom of small press publishing has been observed since the 2008 economic crisis. Small presses have played a significant part historically in recognising new voices and publishing notable works of literary fiction in Australia , but
6438-863: The rocket attacks. Explosions were reported in areas surrounding the strip and in cities in the Sharon plain including Gedera , Herzliya , Tel Aviv , and Ashkelon . Hamas employed tactics such as using aerial drones to disable Israeli observation posts, paragliders for infiltration into Israel, and motorcycles, which was unusual for Hamas. In the evening, Hamas launched another barrage of 150 rockets towards Israel, with explosions reported in Yavne , Givatayim , Bat Yam , Beit Dagan , Tel Aviv, and Rishon LeZion. Simultaneously, around 3,000 Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from Gaza using trucks, motorcycles, bulldozers, speedboats, and paragliders. They took over checkpoints at Kerem Shalom and Erez , and created openings in
6525-479: The same day, the Jabalia refugee camp was bombed for a second time. On 3 November, Israel struck an ambulance convoy directly in front of Al-Shifa Hospital, killing at least 15 people and injuring 60 more. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said one of its ambulances was struck "by a missile fired by the Israeli forces" about two meters from the entrance to al-Shifa hospital. The PRCS said another ambulance
6612-404: The situated testimony of doctors, survivors, and journalists on the ground, as well as photogrammetry and 3D reconstruction, and gave additional credibility to the incident being an Israeli attack instead of a misfired Palestinian rocket. In April 2024 The New Yorker , citing investigations from Earshot and Forensic Architecture, highlighted doubts about a Palestinian rocket involvement and noted
6699-445: The soldiers and civilians on the ground. The helicopter crews initially sustained a high rate of fire, attacking approximately 300 targets in four hours. Later on the crews began to slow down the attacks and carefully select targets. According to Haaretz ' s journalist, a police source said that a police investigation indicated an IDF helicopter which had fired on Hamas militants "apparently also hit some festival participants" in
6786-470: The stated goal to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners and detainees . Hamas said its attack was in response to Israel's continued occupation , blockade of Gaza , expansion of settlements , Israel's disregard for international law , as well as alleged threats to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the general plight of Palestinians. After clearing militants from its territory, Israel launched one of
6873-481: The surprise attack, Israel said that 426 targets had been hit, including Beit Hanoun , homes of Hamas officials, a mosque, and the Watan Tower, an internet infrastructure hub. Israel also rescued two hostages before declaring a state of war for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War . On 9 October, Defense Minister Gallant announced a "total" blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off electricity and blocking
6960-532: The trend towards centralization of Canadian publishing in Toronto has led to a monopolistic control of the Giller Prize by Bertelsmann and its authors, Henighan wrote, "Year after year the vast majority of the books shortlisted for the Giller came from the triumvirate of publishers owned by the Bertelsmann Group: Knopf Canada, Doubleday Canada and Random House Canada. Like the three musketeers, this trio
7047-584: The truce by two days had been reached. Both Israel and Hamas accused each other of violating the truce on 28 November. On 30 November, in a "last-minute agreement", Hamas released eight hostages in exchange for the release of 30 imprisoned Palestinians and a one-day truce extension. The truce expired on 1 December, as Israel and Hamas blamed each other for failing to agree on an extension. The disagreement centered on "how to define soldiers versus civilians and how many Palestinian prisoners Israel would release for its hostages". The remaining Israeli hostages include
7134-685: The war, Israel assassinated several Hamas leaders in and outside of Gaza. The war continues to have significant regional and international repercussions. Large, primarily pro-Palestinian protests have taken place across the world, calling for a ceasefire . The International Court of Justice is reviewing a case accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza , while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders. The United States has given Israel extensive military aid and vetoed multiple UN Security Council ceasefire resolutions. Groups of
7221-453: Was also signed by two previous winners of the prize. Dinaw Mengestu –who had was originally set to serve on the jury that year–resigned in response; the following week, the other international juror, Megha Majumdar , did as well. In the first quarter of 2024, Scotiabank further divested from Elbit Systems by more than $ 100-million; this makes for a total divestment over the previous year of more than three quarters of its total stake. Covering
7308-420: Was caused by an errant Palestinian rocket. Channel 4 news cast doubt on Israeli claims of a misfired Hamas rocket being responsible for the blast. The Associated Press , CNN , The Economist , The Guardian , and The Wall Street Journal concluded a Palestinian missile was the most likely explanation for the blast. In late November, an analysis by Human Rights Watch indicated the evidence pointed to
7395-410: Was done to use civilians as "human shields", which Hamas denied. A number of countries and international organizations condemned what they called Hamas's use of hospitals and civilians as human shields . On 17 October, Israel bombed areas of southern Gaza. Gazan Ministry of Health officials reported heavy overnight bombing killing over 70 people, including families who had evacuated from Gaza City in
7482-437: Was fired on about a kilometer from the hospital. The next day, a UNRWA spokeswoman confirmed reports that Israel had conducted an airstrike against a UN-run school in the Jabalia refugee camp, killing 15 people. On 18 November Israeli strikes killed over 80 people in Jabalia refugee camp. Israel also attacked a clearly marked Médecins Sans Frontières convoy, killing two aid workers. On 22 November, Israel and Hamas reached
7569-441: Was much talk about how small presses dominated that year’s shortlist. Montrealer Johanna Skibsrud won the Giller Prize that year for her novel The Sentimentalists , published by independent Gaspereau Press . The company produces books using a 1960s offset printing press and hand-bindery equipment . As a result, while there was great demand for the book in the marketplace, the publisher had trouble keeping up with production. In
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