Bondi library returns book How to Sell a Genocide to shelves after State Library ‘outlines the law’

Bondi library has returned the book “How to Sell a Genocide” to its shelves after a public campaign and a letter from the State Library of New South Wales. The book, written by Adam Johnson and published by Pluto Press, criticises what it calls the United States media’s complicity in the destruction of Gaza. It was removed from the Bondi Junction library in the Waverley council area earlier this month following a complaint and a review request.

The removal was triggered by a report from the Jewish news outlet JWire, which said a survivor of the December 2023 antisemitic attack on Bondi Beach – in which 15 people were killed – had seen the book displayed on the library’s “new release / hot item” shelf. The survivor posted on Facebook that the display was distressing for survivors and bereaved families. Guardian Australia was unable to locate the Facebook post, but the claim was enough for the library to take the book off the shelves for review.

A staff member at the council‑operated library confirmed on Friday that the book had been reinstated. Waverley council was contacted for comment but did not provide a statement at the time of reporting. The State Library of NSW wrote to the council reminding it of its obligations under guidelines issued by the Library Council of NSW and the Library Act, which was amended in 2026 to reinforce the independence of libraries to develop and maintain collections. In the letter, the State Library said it supports free and equitable access to information, acknowledging that some materials may not align with everyone’s views but that individuals have the right to choose what they read. It also outlined the relevant law and policy to the council.

The reinstatement followed a petition on change.org that gathered almost 2,500 signatures. Ramia Abdo Sultan, a lawyer and board member of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, helped organise the petition. In a social media post she noted that the council’s manager had notified staff that the book had been removed, and that 21 people were on a waiting list for it. The petition’s language said that “individual distress, offence or political disagreement should not determine what the broader public is permitted to access through a public library.” It also acknowledged the grief of victims of violence and antisemitism.

Author Adam Johnson welcomed the decision but criticised the council for not disclosing the complaint that prompted the removal. He said he hoped to find out the details “through legal channels” and praised the support of free‑speech and Palestine activists. Johnson said the broader issue was the suppression of pro‑Palestine speech in Australia, which has escalated over the past seven months.

The book’s removal and reinstatement have drawn responses from several community groups. Alex Ryvchin, co‑chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (Ecaj), had previously welcomed the removal, describing the book as having “no place on the shelves of a library” near the site of the Bondi massacre. He praised the survivor who had spotted the book and requested its removal. Bart Shteinman, an executive member of the Progressive Jewish Council of Australia, said the book should never have been removed and argued that banning books undermines the struggle against antisemitism and racism. Nasser Mashni, president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, said that a single complaint triggering the removal of a book about genocide “should concern every Australian who values free inquiry and open debate.”

The dispute comes amid broader debate over Israel’s actions in Gaza. Multiple human rights groups have described those actions as genocide, a claim Israel denies. An independent UN inquiry in June found that Israel continued to commit genocide by deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza. The book’s removal and subsequent reinstatement highlight the tensions between community sensitivities, free‑speech principles, and the role of public libraries in providing access to diverse viewpoints.