More than 100 authors have signed an open letter pledging to boycott Indigo Books and Music, Canada's largest bookstore chain. The signatories include Viet Thanh Nguyen, Mosab Abu Toha, Jenan Matari, and Daniel José Older.
The boycott targets CEO Heather Reisman and her husband Gerald Schwartz, founder of Onex Corporation. The letter accuses them of complicity in the Gaza conflict through the HESEG Foundation for Lone Soldiers, a Canadian charitable organization that provides grants and scholarships to foreign nationals who enlist in the Israeli military. According to the letter, Reisman and Schwartz donate an average of $5 million annually to these grants and scholarships. In 2024, they donated $4,600,000 to the foundation.
The authors demand that Reisman and Schwartz either dissolve the HESEG Foundation or sell their shares in Indigo Books. They pledge not to promote Indigo or participate in events hosted or sponsored by the company until these demands are met.
The letter notes that the Canada Revenue Agency stipulates supporting the armed forces of another country is not charitable, yet the HESEG Foundation maintains its official charity status.
The boycott comes after more than two years of pressure from Canadian literary activist groups. In late 2025, the Giller Prize, Canada's most prestigious literary award, ended its partnership with Indigo Books after previously severing ties with lead sponsor Scotiabank. The letter references an earlier open letter signed by over 2,000 Canadian writers that preceded the Giller Prize's divestment.