Aisha Abdel Gawad (inset) was named the inaugural Cornerstone Writer in Residence by the Wilton Library in August 2024.. Credit: Library: Jarret Liotta for Wilton Library / Aisha Gawad Inset: Abby Cole Wilton Library ‘s first-ever writer-in-residence, Aisha Abdel Gawad , is drawing considerable public controversy after she refused to take part in a book festival forum because she stated the panel’s moderator was a “Zionist.” Gawad, the author of Between Two Moons , a novel exploring “what it means to be a young Muslim in America,” according to her website, was scheduled to appear on an author’s panel called “Girls, Coming of Age” on Saturday, Sept. 21 , at the Albany Book Festival, run through the New York State Writers Institute at the University of Albany in New York. According to news accounts, the panel’s moderator, author Elisa Albert , who is Jewish, received an email from the festival’s assistant director telling her that Gawad — along with another panelist, author Lisa Ko — was refusing to take part in the forum. “Basically, not to sugar coat this, Aisha Gawad and Lisa Ko don’t want to be on a panel with a ‘Zionist.’” the email said. The NY State Writers Institute decided to cancel the event even though Albert said she would appear on her own after the other writer on the panel, Emily Layden , withdrew “in an effort to avoid controversy.” Over the next 36 hours, the story appeared in online news reports, including on Yahoo.com , and spread widely on social media. A viral email campaign condemning Gawad’s withdrawal and the festival’s subsequent cancellation of the event as antisemitic was sent to a wide range of recipients, including NY congressional officials, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY), and Greenwich Academy (where Gawad teaches). On the distribution list locally were Wilton Library Executive Director Caroline Mandler , Wilton Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Smith , and the Wilton Board of Education . On April 15 , Wilton Library announced that Gawad had been chosen from more than 100 applicants from around the […]
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