Statement in Solidarity with Author lisa luxx
As the publishers of many courageous writers across the world, including Kurdish and Iranian writers, this is not the first time we have seen one of our authors face state suppression. But to see such authoritarian measures being deployed in the UK is a sign of the hypocrisy of so much of British politics regarding art and activism which opposes imperialist genocide.
Comma Press author lisa luxx, who is also the spokesperson for the Filton 24 Defence Committee, was detained under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 on Saturday, April 11. They have since been released.
Comma’s CEO, Ra Page, says: “We are issuing this statement in solidarity with lisa. We believe that their arrest under the Terrorism Act is completely ungrounded and unjustified, and most likely an attempt to harass and silence a very established and respected writer and activist.”
luxx (who uses the pronouns them/they and does not capitalise their name), is a poet, playwright, short story writer and political activist of Syrian heritage. On top of their writing, they are the spokesperson for the Filton 24 Defence Committee: activists charged with offences related to a break in at an Elbit Systems Factory in August 2024. Elbit Systems is Israel’s biggest weapons producer: manufacturing 85% of the Israeli Defence Forces’ lethal drones, used to kill civilians and destroy homes en masse in Gaza. After the first six Filton 24 defendants were found not guilty of the charge of aggravated burglary by a jury in February this year, the government and the CPS pushed for a retrial, which is due to begin today, Monday April 13.
Comma’s CEO, Ra Page, says: “As the publishers of many courageous writers across the world, including Kurdish and Iranian writers, this is not the first time we have seen one of our authors face state suppression. But to see such authoritarian measures being deployed in the UK is a sign of the hypocrisy of so much of British politics regarding art and activism which opposes imperialist genocide. In times of growing state oppression — and in the context of British complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, attempted ethnic cleansing in Lebanon and illegal war against Iran — it is more important than ever to support and amplify the voices of those willing to take a stand for justice and for the oppressed. This should be the job of all publishers of conscience. We are proud to support lisa luxx and their work representing the Filton 24.”
luxx’s forthcoming collection of short fiction Mona the Animal, due to be published by Comma in 2027, contains stories of activism and police overreach amidst a background creeping authoritarianism in UK politics. luxx has previously written fiction for Comma on issues ranging from the impact austerity on single-mothers and the experience of growing up in care (in anthologies such as The Cuckoo Cage and Collision: Stories from the Science of CERN.
We call on all publishers to stand with the rights of authors to express their political views without harassment.
Buy Mona the Animal HERE
