Published in solidarity with the "Indigo Kills Kids" campaign, the open letter places direct demands on Reisman and her husband, Onex Corporation founder Gerald Schwartz. The campaign demands that the couple fully divest from Indigo Books and/or completely dissolve the HESEG Foundation for Lone Soldiers. The HESEG Foundation is a Canadian charitable organization that provides financial incentives to foreign nationals, commonly referred to as "lone soldiers," to voluntarily enlist in the military.
The open letter details how Reisman and Schwartz have donated an average of $5 million annually to grants and scholarships that support individuals who enlist in the military. Specifically, the HESEG Foundation offers financial backing that covers recipients’ tuition costs at academic institutions, along with their living expenses during their studies, provided that the recipients complete at least one term of active service.
Furthermore, the document highlights ongoing concerns regarding the foundation’s charitable status. While the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) explicitly stipulates that supporting the armed forces of another country does not qualify as charitable work, the HESEG Foundation has historically been able to maintain its official charitable status. According to groups such as Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), the leadership of the HESEG Foundation has included several members or veterans of the military who have faced widespread criticism for alleged major violations of international law.
This literary boycott follows years of escalating activism within the Canadian literary landscape. In late 2025, after more than two years of sustained protests, boycotts, and targeted pressure campaigns spearheaded by activist groups within the CanLit community—such as Can Lit Responds and No Arms in the Arts—the Giller Prize quietly ended its longtime partnership with Indigo Books. This development came shortly after Canada’s most prestigious and lucrative literary award had belatedly severed ties with its lead sponsor, Scotiabank, earlier that same year following similar pressure over financial links to military manufacturing.
The Boycott Indigo Books campaign is now urging authors everywhere to join the movement, prioritize humanity over corporate profit, and take a firm stand against what organizers describe as Indigo turning books into bombs by signing the open letter and participating in the boycott.
The complete text of the open letter signed by the authors reads as follows:
We, the undersigned, are members of the literary community who pledge not to promote Indigo Books in any way and not to participate in events hosted by Heather Reisman or sponsored by Indigo Books until the following demands of the Indigo Kills Kids (aka Boycott Indigo Books) campaign are met:
Heather Reisman, the founder, Chair, and CEO of Indigo Books, and her partner Gerald Schwartz, have used their substantial share of profits from Indigo Books & Music Inc., to establish the HESEG Foundation for Lone Soldiers, a Canadian charitable organization that incentivizes foreign nationals ("lone soldiers") to voluntarily enlist in the israeli military. The HESEG Foundation offers grants and scholarships that cover the recipient’s tuition costs at academic institutions in israel, as well as their living expenses during study, on the condition that the recipient serves at least one term of active service in the israeli military. Reisman and Schwartz donate $5 million on average annually to grants and scholarships supporting mercenaries who enlist in the israeli military. According to Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), the HESEG Board of Directors has consisted of several members or veterans of the israeli military who have been criticized for major violations of international law under their command. Although the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) states that "supporting the armed forces of another country" is not charitable, the HESEG Foundation has maintained support and its official charity status.
The israeli government, whose soldiers enforce the violent occupation of Palestine, are currently engaged in the destruction of the Gaza strip, with The Lancet making the grim projection that the death toll from October 7, 2023 onward could conservatively exceed 200,000. Children account for nearly half of presently known deaths.
The Palestinian solidarity movement in Canada has been calling for a boycott of Indigo since 2006. In July 2025, the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese released a report outlining a number of businesses making significant financial gains from the ongoing assault on Gaza and the Middle East. It is evident that the Boycott Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement is more critical than ever. The people of Gaza are currently facing genocide. It is our moral obligation to name and hold accountable companies that are aiding in the slaughter of Palestinians.
In 2025, the Giller prize dropped its partnership with Indigo Books. This divestment came after years of pressure from the CanLit community, including an open letter signed by over 2000 Canadian writers. However, Reisman has signalled no intention of selling her shares in Indigo Books, or of stepping away from her position as director of the HESEG Foundation. Instead, she continues to support israel and its military through wealth accumulated from Indigo Books. In 2024, Resiman and Schwartz donated $4,600,000 to the HESEG Foundation.
It remains urgent for members of the literary community to oppose Indigo’s financial support for the israeli military and its complicity in genocide. Over 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by the israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) since a "ceasefire" was declared in October 2025. israel has approved a budget to build 34 more illegal settlements in the West Bank, while the United Nations warns that israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank has reached an all-time high. In the past year, israel has attacked Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Qatar, bombing schools, medical facilities, critical infrastructure, and homes.
We call on all authors to join us, to value humanity over profit, and to take a stand against Indigo turning books into bombs.
