In this webinar, we will explore the deep roots of antisemitism in fiction and the harmful ways that antisemitic tropes continue into literature today. I will first provide an overview of Judaism and antisemitism for folks who may be less familiar. I will then go through a non-exhaustive list of Jew-coded traits to watch for in books that we work on, followed by an exploration of how those tropes appear in various classic and modern stories. We’ll look at an example from my own editing in which I encountered the use of accidental antisemitic tropes and how I handled it, and then we’ll conclude by discussing what we can do as editors when we encounter problematic or harmful material.
Participants should leave this webinar with a better understanding of:
– antisemitism in history and the world today
– how antisemitism has appeared in historical and modern literature
– what we can do as editors if we encounter antisemitic tropes in our clients’ work
Instructor
Molly Rookwood is a freelance developmental and copy editor specializing in romance, fantasy and science fiction. After studying publishing at Toronto Metropolitan University, Molly moved back to the East Coast and launched her company, Rookwood Editing. She is an active member of multiple editing communities, including serving as the 2021 co-chair of Editors Atlantic. Molly brings her knowledge and experience as an Ashkenazi Jew to her editing and educating, and she is passionate about tackling antisemitism in literature.