Politicians in Lund's culture and leisure committee propose ending the collaboration with residency author Bisan Edwan following revelations of her support for the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Edwan will lose her stipend and housing but receive three months' notice. The decision draws criticism for threatening freedom of speech.
Bisan Edwan, a Palestinian journalist and author born in 1975 in Libya to Palestinian parents, has been a residency author in Lund since the end of 2024 through collaboration with the organization Icorn. The project provides persecuted authors with a two-year stipend, free housing, and a network in the cultural life, costing the municipality 466,000 kronor annually. Edwan is the third author in Lund's residency program.
On December 22, 2024, Expressen revealed Edwan's earlier social media posts praising Hamas, its leaders, and the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. She urged celebration and distribution of candy on the streets and incorrectly stated that no Israeli civilians were killed. The posts were written before she became a residency author.
Following the revelation, Lund municipality conducted a three-month investigation. At a press conference on March 9, 2026, leading politicians from the Social Democrats, Moderates, and Liberals presented the proposal to end the collaboration prematurely. The formal decision is to be made on March 19, effective immediately but with three months' notice for housing and stipend.
Sebastian Jaktling (S), chair of the culture and leisure committee, emphasized: "We do not oppose the expression of opinions as long as they stay within the framework of what is legal. However, we have turned against Lund municipality becoming a platform for this type of opinions expressed strongly in conflict with the values we have."
Samuel Jonsson (M), vice chair, added: "You can think and believe whatever you want in Lund municipality. But the question is whether our common tax funds should go to pay for housing, livelihood, and provide a platform for this type of opinions."
Edwan criticizes the decision in a debate article in Sydsvenskan: "Punishing an author for her opinions is not a way to protect democracy; it is a threat to it." She notes that no charges or court rulings have been brought against her.
Criticism comes from PEN, Icorn, and Karin Salmson, chair of Författarcentrum Syd: "The entire residency authorship is threatened by this decision. It shows that even in Sweden, one does not have the freedom to express oneself as one wishes." Edwan was forced to leave Egypt in 2020 after criticizing the authorities' treatment of Palestinian refugees.
