More than 100 Canadian writers have donated autographed and special editions of their books to an online auction raising funds for Crips for eSims for Gaza, a crowdfunded project that sends electronic SIM cards to Palestinians living in Gaza.

Launched by writers Thea Lim and Jody Chan, with support from T. Liem, the online fundraiser runs from May 5 to May 18 at 6 p.m. All books were donated by the authors, the list of whom includes Casey Plett, Claudia Dey, Eden Robinson, Kyo Maclear, Omar El Akkad, Madeleine Thien, Saeed Teebi, Sarah Bernstein, Sheila Heti, Souvankham Thammavongsa, Suzette Mayr, Vivek Shraya, and Waubgeshig Rice. Items up for auction include signed books, limited edition book posters, and poems and stories to be written specifically for the winning bidder.

“This is a very tiny, concrete thing I can do to support Gazans living in the midst of genocide and siege so they can stay connected to the world and each other,” Maclear said in a press release.

Crips for eSims for Gaza is a crowdfunded project started in December 2023 by authors Alice Wong, Jane Shi, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha to send eSIM cards (primarily used to access the internet) to Palestinians living in Gaza. The group, which has 160 volunteers working to purchase the eSIM cards most requested by those on the ground in Gaza, has sent more than 14,000 eSIM cards since the project began.

Lim says organizers hope to raise at least $20,000–$30,000 with the auction.