Bondi library removes book How to Sell a Genocide from shelves after complaint
Guardian AU
β’Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:55:38 GMT
π° What Happened
Waverley library at Bondi Junction removed the book How to Sell a Genocide, which is critical of Israel, from its shelves 'for review' following a complaint reportedly from a survivor of the Bondi beach terror attack. The survivor saw the book on the 'new release / hot item' shelf and wrote that the display was distressing for survivors and bereaved families. Author Adam Johnson criticised the decision, saying 'reality is often upsetting', while a Palestinian group said libraries should hold 'challenging' books.
π The Backstory
The complaint followed December's antisemitic attack at Bondi, in which 15 people were killed, and Waverley library is in the same council area as Bondi beach. A Waverley council spokesperson said the council outsources its book curation, ordering and purchasing, and would consider greater oversight of book selection.
π― Why It Matters
The removal highlights the tension between protecting bereaved survivors of an antisemitic attack and the principle that public libraries should hold challenging material. It raises questions about censorship, book selection and the role of libraries in contested political moments.
Waverley library at Bondi Junction removed the book How to Sell a Genocide, which is critical of Israel, from its shelves 'for review' following a complaint reportedly from a survivor of the Bondi beach terror attack. The survivor saw the book on the 'new release / hot item' shelf and wrote that the display was distressing for survivors and bereaved families. Author Adam Johnson criticised the decision, saying 'reality is often upsetting', while a Palestinian group said libraries should hold 'challenging' books.
The complaint followed December's antisemitic attack at Bondi, in which 15 people were killed, and Waverley library is in the same council area as Bondi beach. A Waverley council spokesperson said the council outsources its book curation, ordering and purchasing, and would consider greater oversight of book selection.
The removal highlights the tension between protecting bereaved survivors of an antisemitic attack and the principle that public libraries should hold challenging material. It raises questions about censorship, book selection and the role of libraries in contested political moments.