May 12, 2025, 12:00pm
Sheila Heti, Omar El Akkad, Madeleine Thien, and Sarah Bernstein are among the dozens of prominent authors who are auctioning off signed editions of their books to benefit Crips for eSims for Gaza, a crowdfunding organization made up of disabled people from around the world who are working to provide Palestinians under siege in Gaza with phone and internet access.
Established by authors Alice Wong, Jane Shi, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha in December 2023, Crips for eSims for Gaza is now run by hundreds of volunteers and has raised millions of dollars for Palestinians trying to survive and stay connected to each other in the midst of Israel’s unrelenting assault on the besieged strip.
As the group details, however, the normalization of the genocide in Gaza—coupled with Israel’s ongoing aid blockade—means that donations have dropped at a time when they’re more necessary than ever:
Israel has repeatedly attacked wifi and cell service, devastating Palestinians’ ability to stay connected to each other, and to report and warn each other about atrocities. Israel’s aid blockades have also made getting money and donations into Gaza nearly impossible, but sending eSims has remained one accessible and concrete way to move resources to Palestinians. Crips for eSims for Gaza has been hugely successful, raising over $2.3 million CAD and sending over 18,400 eSIMs to Gaza. But as the genocide drags on and becomes normalized, anywhere from mainstream media to grassroots movements, Crips for eSims has seen a drop in donations. We owe it to Palestinians to support their survival and resistance when our own governments are complicit in arming Israel.
The online auction, which runs until May 18th, includes signed special editions, 1-on-1 consultations, unpublished manuscripts, character naming rights, curated bundles, and more, so if you’re looking to find a unique gift for the book lover in your life (or indeed yourself), while also supporting an extremely worthy cause, get yourself over to the auction page before time runs out.