2026 TOOLKIT

HOST A BOOK DISCUSSION, OR RELATED EVENT, AND PARTICIPATE IN THE 2026 ONE BOOK, MANY COMMUNITIES CAMPAIGN!

Librarians and Archivists with Palestine launched One Book, Many Communities in 2015, and book discussions have been the center of our campaign each year. 

We recommend planning with COVID-19 safety in mind. Remote events are a good option for some, plus if you host a remote event, people can attend from anywhere! If hosting an in-person gathering, it helps to be mindful of ventilation, outdoor options, and use high-quality masks. Read more on COVID-aware events here. 

Read on for tips to host your own virtual or in-person book discussion group and see our resource guide for additional information and suggested further readings.

FOR VIRTUAL EVENTS

Choose a virtual platform. There are a lot of digital platforms out there to host meetings. Zoom is very popular, but you can also use Skype, Google Meet and Discord, among others. Be aware that there are some privacy issues with online conferencing. Try out the platform before your event and get accustomed to the interface.

Consider virtual privacy and safety. “Zoombombing” has become an unfortunate reality and events about Palestine have become targets. If you’re only hosting a small event for people you know, the risks are much lower, but it’s good to be aware. Read here for practical tips for protecting your event.

Consider your virtual platform to ensure you understand logistics. What is the maximum number of devices allowed in a meeting? Is there a time limit? Do you know how to manage the interface? Keep in mind that all participants should be able to contribute and may not know how to use your platform of choice.

 

FOR IN-PERSON EVENTS

Choose an accessible in-person location. You might consider a bookstore, public library, cafe, restaurant, or even a park if weather permits.

Consider your format. Your One Book event is welcome to either be open to the public, or privately held within your community or group. If you already have an existing book discussion group, this can be your One Book event, or you can organize a special event or discussion just for One Book! 

Consider your group’s needs and privacy. Unfortunately, Palestine book discussions can often become targets of bad faith actors, and it is good to be aware of how to handle potential situations if they are to rise. Palestine Legal’s Legal and Tactical Guide has helpful information on how to deal with these situations.

 

PLAN YOUR EVENT

Pick a date in October or November, 2026. If these months prove impossible and you need to schedule your group at a different time, that’s okay, too.

Choose a facilitator or leader for the discussion. Find someone who’s excited to read and help generate conversation around the book. We recommend working with a local Palestinian organizer or community member for your event.

Plan the format. Depending on the size and nature of your event, this could be an informal conversation or a structured discussion around particular questions. If your event has garnered a lot of interest, you could consider holding more than one.  

Optional: Create an event page. Use an event platform, such as Facebook, Eventbrite, or MeetUp to create an event page and share the details.

Fill out the event submission form. We have created a submission form to streamline One Book event promotion. The form can be found here. You should receive confirmation from us on the receipt of your submission, and will be able to find your event promoted on our website if you selected that option. You can also email us at librarians2palestine@gmail.com and lap1book@gmail.com. 

Brainstorm how to incorporate participants. Do you already have an idea of who you want to invite? Do you want people to sign up in advance? Make sure you get correct contact information like email addresses so you can send meeting links or invites.

Consider your audience. Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal follows the Palestinian struggle against occupation, war, incarceration, and genocide. Emotional responses to traumatic themes can vary and consider how engagement with the material in a safe and healthy way can vary person to person. Consider how the event can normalize making space for community care. 

Be aware of attendee and event safety. Consider how your event can keep the discussion centred on a Palestinian-focused lens and on topic with Perfect Victims. If you are concerned about the safety of your attendees or potential derailment, we are here to support you. Reach out to us at librarians2palestine@gmail.com and lap1book@gmail.com. 

If you are facing active pushback from your chosen host location or your local community, consider the following:

• Establish a plan to deal with potential difficulty caused by bad faith actors.
• Establish a connection with supportive networks or community members who can assist you if your book discussion is being challenged, such as those involved in community organizing, human rights, law, or academia.
• State that your discussion is centered on discussing Palestine from a Palestinian-centered viewpoint, and individuals that are engaging in bad faith will be asked to leave.  
• State that your group is entitled and welcomed to a safe, unapologetic space to discuss Palestinian liberation.
• State that abusive, threatening, or violent language of any kind will not be tolerated.

 

Get more ideas here:

• Leading Polarizing Conversations Facilitation Guide from the American Library Association
• Ten Tips for Facilitating Discussions on Sensitive Topics from University of Nebraska Lincoln
• How to Have Hard Conversations from Jewish Voice for Peace
• The Heart of It: Messaging for the Palestinian Freedom Movement  from the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
• Reading Across America: How to Host a Literary Event from Literary Hub
• 10 Tips for Hosting a Digital Book Club from Bustle
• Book Discussion Groups: Hosting and Facilitating from the American Library Association
• One Book, One Community from the American Library Association

PROMOTE YOUR EVENT

If your event is open to the public, publicize it:

• Use our resources for promotional images, or make your own using the “One Book, Many Communities” logo.
• Post to social media using the hashtag #lap1book and tag us on Instagram and Facebook @librarianswithpalestine! 

 

Let participants know where they can obtain the book:

This year, Librarians and Archivists with Palestine is happy to announce that we have graciously received a discount code from Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal’s publisher, Haymarket Books, for 50% off purchases of the title! To receive the code, you must submit your event through the online event submission form found here. We request that this code only be shared to those registered or invited to your event.

• • Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal is available to borrow from many public and academic libraries, or through interlibrary loan. If your local library does not have the title, you can request they purchase the book for their collection.

• English titles can be purchased from the publisher, Haymarket Books, with a 50% off code, as well as Bookshop.org, Powell’s, and Barnes & Noble in print and eBook. It is also available as an audiobook on Libro.fm.

• Arabic titles can be purchased from Neelwafurat نيل و فرات.كوم, or you can contact the translation publisher, Dar Al Adab دار الآداب, for more information.
• Korean titles can be purchased from Kyobo Book 교보문고 or 예스24.
• Let us know if you have any questions about acquiring the book.

 

A NOTE ABOUT LANGUAGE ACCESS

Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal was originally written and published in English, but has been translated to Arabic and Korean. The English, Arabic, and Korean versions are available as of July, 2026. Other translations may be available depending on location and date.

 

HOLD YOUR EVENT

Document it. Take a photo of yourself with the book, a screenshot of the online meeting, a picture of someone reading a passage, or photo of the gathering. Make sure you have permission before photographing participants! Record any presentations. Live tweet the discussion! Remember to use the hashtag #lap1book. Let us know if you and your participants agree to share publicly.

 

Share tips for leading a great book discussion with your facilitator:

(Several of these are adapted from guides from BookBrowse and LitLovers. For more guidance on helpful ground rules, see Antiracist Forum’s Safer Space guidelines.)

• If possible, communicate with participants in advance about your hopes, expectations, and goals for the group. What would you and they like to get out of the experience? This could help you structure your meetings and build in time for breaks, media viewing, etc.
• If you have time, consider collectively brainstorming questions about the book before the first meeting. This will give all participants a chance to help shape the discussion.
• Pick a passage, chapter, or moment written in the book that strikes you as moving and/or thought-provoking. Read it aloud to the group. Discuss.
• Talk about your experiences of reading the memoir. Explore how the book made you feel, and the emotions, themes, and questions it brought up.
• Talk about any preconceptions you had before reading the book that changed after you read it. How did this book transform your attitudes and perceptions? What did you learn from it that you didn’t know before?
• Use secondary sources, such as articles, film, or images. See our resource guide for ideas to place the memoir in new contexts.
• If you could ask the authors a question about their writing, what would it be? 

 

Ask one or more of these questions that LAP designed specifically about Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal:

1. In Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal, Mohammed El-Kurd sheds light on the many ways Palestinians are forced to exist, grieve, and navigate Western media in order to be deemed worthy of basic human rights. Did you learn anything new about what Palestinians must endure when trying to condemn Zionism and uplift Palestinian life? Were you able to recognize some of these tactics in local, national, or international media? 

 

2. Mohammed El-Kurd argues that “Palestine is a microcosm of the world: wretched, raging, fraught, and fragmented. On fire. Stubborn. Ineligible. Dignified. The lens we lend the Palestinian reveals how we see each other, how we see everything else”. What does the reaction to the genocide in Gaza and the Palestinian liberation movement as a whole reveal about ourselves and our society?

 

3. Mohammed El-Kurd states “The problem is, if you want to humanize the Palestinian, you have to defang the Palestinian.” What does it mean to ‘defang the Palestinian’ and do you find this relates to concepts of infantilization or the trivialization of Palestinian life? How could this concept be applied to other marginalized groups?

 

4. Do we ever fall into the trap of creating the “perfect victim”; emphasizing Palestinians’ credentials, youth, or other markers of “innocence”? Do we allow space for Palestinians to be angry or even vengeful? Or impolite? Do you agree with Mohammed El-Kurd that we exceptionalize Palestinians in this way?

 

5. Mohammed El-Kurd’s writing is unapologetic and direct, rich with historical and cultural details. How did the book’s structure and style help you navigate some of the larger questions he poses to us all? 

 

Share additional resources with participants. You can use our resource guide for Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal for additional information and suggested further readings.