Dumplin’, Teen Vogue among ‘challenged’ books
It’s Freedom to Read week, when Canadians are encouraged to think about freedom from censorship and take a stand for their right to choose what they want to read. It’s the 35th anniversary this year and, as always, it’s been marked by two perennial observations: the Challenged Works list and the Writers’ Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award.
One of this year’s posters (at freedometoread.ca) highlights books that are perennially challenged — by complainants who want to limit public access to works in schools, libraries or bookstores — including Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s
Tale,” children’s book “Asha’s
Mums,” Barbara Smucker’s “Underground to
Canada” and Alice Munro’s
“Lives of Girls and Women.”
But also, in 2019,
China Today magazine was challenged as was
Teen Vogue and
Julie Murphy’s
YA book “Dumplin’.” Most challenges aren’t granted, but it’s good to know what people don’t want you to read.
Meantime, Ivan Coyote is the recipient of this year’s Freedom to Read Award from the Writers’ Union. The author of 12 books, three audio albums and four short films, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, was nominated by a Canadian writer saying: “They have done amazing and long-term work, especially in schools, on the subject of bullying and discussing what it means to be transgender. The contents of their books are, to me, a testament to freedom — not only to read, but for every person to be themselves.”