Banned Books Week
From September 19 to 25, readers of all ages are celebrating Banned Books Week. From To Kill a Mockingbird to The Hunger Games, banned books run the gamut in themes and content. The one thing all have in common: they created controversy in some way.
Some of the most frequently banned books are children’s or young adult books. Some notable examples are the Harry Potter Series, James and the Giant Peach, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Anne Frank, the Diary of a Young Girl and Charlotte’s Web. Most recently, the young adult book 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher caused controversy when it was adapted into a Netflix show because of the strong themes it depicted.
Books by New Zealand authors have had some dubious encounters with local censors over the years. The Butcher Shop by Jan Devanny was the first book banned by the Censorship Appeal Board in 1926. The board, comprising two librarians and a bookseller, found the book, which was the story of a wealthy farming family who were involved in multiple extramarital affairs, was “sordid and unwholesome”. The 2013 children’s book award winner Into the River by
Ted Dawe was made subject to a legal restraint order that required no copies could be sold until after it was reviewed by the censorship board. The review began on October 2 and finished on October 14, 2015. Into the River was then made legal to sell again.
In a time of intense political polarisation, library staff in the US are facing an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books. The
American Library Association (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2021, resulting in more than 1597 individual book challenges or removals. Most targeted books were by or about people of colour or persons who identify as identifying as LGBTQIA+.
The theme for Banned Books Week 2022 is Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.
Sharing stories important to us means sharing a part of ourselves. Books reach across boundaries and build connections between readers. Censorship, on the other hand, creates barriers. Banned Books Week is both a reminder of the unifying power of stories and the divisiveness of censorship, and a call to action for readers across the country to push back against censorship attempts in their communities
Free expression is not only about your ability to speak but the ability to listen to others and allow other views to be heard. We should feel comfortable being in a room with people who disagree with us, because otherwise nothing will change. We may still disagree with others’ views but it helps see the whole picture. Stories help us deepen our understanding of humanity, so let’s open our eyes, ears, voice and heart!