Skip to main content
More than 275 authors have signed an open letter calling for the organizers of the Portland Book Festival to end its partnerships with several major banks. The letter, published in the journal Literary Hub on July 29, says sponsorships from Bank of America and Wells Fargo are tied to profits made from the manufacturing of weapons being used by Israel in its war with Gaza.
The authors who signed the letter argue that the sponsorships are inconsistent with the values of Literary Arts, the nonprofit that organizes the festival, which takes place Saturday. Nov. 8.
“Literary Arts has foregrounded many writers who speak truth to power, from Ursula K. Le Guin to Ta-Nehisi Coates, from Viet Thanh Nguyen to Omar El Akkad,” reads the letter.
“In that spirit, we ask you to say ‘no’ to sponsorship from banks that profit from and facilitate the destruction of Palestine, that are deeply implicated in the global arms trade overall and which go against the spirit of the work of the writers you otherwise center. Let us come together to celebrate literature without lending these banks the shine of our collective dreams for a better future, without helping the reputations of those who profit off death in the shadows.”
The open letter arrives as creative communities weigh how to discuss Palestine and Israel in the months leading up to the second anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. (Regina Spektor’s concert at Revolution Hall on July 26, for example, saw some attendees heckle the Jewish, openly pro-Israel musician, asking her to say “Free Palestine,” before Spektor asked them to leave.)
Along with Nguyen and El Akkad, writers who have signed the letter include Naomi Klein, Alexander Chee, Callum Angus and Dao Strom, the latter of whom will appear at this year’s Time Based Arts Festival in September. Other local figures who signed the letter include award-winning writers like Cari Luna, Emilly Prado, jzl jmz, journalists Leah Sottile and Katey Trnka and the owners of book stores including Nationale, Always Here Bookstore and the Independent Publishing Resource Center.
The letter’s signatories say the banks sponsoring the festival have invested in companies that supply weapons and military technology to Israel, including Raytheon, Elbit, Lockheed Martin, Palantir and General Dynamic. (Representatives for Bank of America and Wells Fargo did not immediately respond to WW’s requests for comment).
In response, Literary Arts said its sponsorships are crucial to the event’s prospects.
“We are aware of concerns raised regarding Portland Book Festival sponsorships,” reads a statement Literary Arts shared with WW. “We take seriously the values and voices of the literary community. Sponsorships enable the Portland Book Festival to remain accessible and community-focused, and we remain committed to listening, engaging respectfully, and supporting diverse perspectives.”
Trnka, whose bylines include WW, says it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if Literary Arts’ sponsorships dried up. She remembers when the Portland Book Festival—which begins ticket sales Aug. 26—switched over from its roots as Wordstock.
“I remember when it came back with the Bank of America sponsorship and it just felt so different and very corporate,” she says. “There were huge long lines to see authors when it used to feel so much more communal. This is a personal attachment, but on a broader scale Bank of America’s continued arming of Israel financially, etc. is just appalling.”
“And I’m a credit union girl anyway,” Trnka added.
