American author Elizabeth Gilbert has been criticized for her decision to cancel the publication of her upcoming book "The Snow Forest" due to the story taking place in Russia.
The 53-year-old writer earlier explained the plot would be set in mid-20th century Siberia and centered on a family isolating themselves from the Soviet Union.
Ukrainians criticized the book's planned publication in February 2024 because of the book set, which prompted Gilbert to call off the publication.
In a video on Twitter, Gilbert said she received an "enormous, massive outpouring of reaction and responses from [her] Ukrainian readers" whose emotions were hatred against Russia because of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
"I do not want to add any harm to a group of people who have already experienced - and who are continuing to experience - grievous and extreme harm," she said.
Gilbert did not provide a rescheduled date for the book's release.
Important announcement about THE SNOW FOREST. Please note that if you were charged for your pre-order, you will be fully refunded. Thank you so much. pic.twitter.com/OAEmrjtfJx
— Elizabeth Gilbert (@GilbertLiz) June 12, 2023
Gilbert's Decision to Postpone Publication A 'Terrible Precedent'
However, her decision was also criticized. An opinion article in The Atlantic said her decision was "setting a terrible precedent," while PEN America called her "wrongheaded."
"The publication of a novel set in Russia should not be cast as an act exacerbating oppression," said PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel in a statement. "Fiction and culture are essential to supporting mutual understanding and unleashing empathy.... We hope Gilbert might reconsider and we urge others to rally around the on-time publication of her book, and the principle that literature and creativity must not become a casualty of war."
Author Leigh Stein also made her criticism known on Twitter, saying while she understood where Gilbert was coming from, the move to cancel the publication "sets bad precedent for writers with less money, career stability, and clout than she has."
"Canceling the publication of this novel will make not one iota of material difference for innocent Ukrainian citizens," she added.
Ukrainians Answer Back to PEN America
In response to PEN America's statement, Joyce Carol Oates said Gilbert's decision was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Setting aside a novel that is likely to be controversial is not an extreme move," she said. "[M]any writers have put manuscripts in the drawer realizing that this is not the right time to publish."
Ukrainians also responded to the PEN America statement on Twitter, criticizing its use of the term "casualty" and mentioning the scale of Ukrainian deaths since the beginning of the Russian invasion last February 2022.
"Instead of supporting the empathetic and compassionate Elizabeth Gilbert, who heard us and made a difficult but incredibly caring decision, you decided that the real 'casualty' of this war is books," wrote one person.
"I doubt that books set in [R]ussia are the most heartbreaking casualty in this war, when [Ukrainian] authors, dancers, actors, [and] musicians are literally dying on the frontlines," said another.
