Index on Censorship weekly round-up

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Friday, 06 October 2023
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Photo:Photo: Kennedy Library (CC-BY-NC.20)

This week I picked out a favourite book for my son’s bedtime story — Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. It’s a beautifully illustrated tale culminating in a vibrant parade of sea creature costumes, most notably mermaids, one of whom is Julian. But if I had happened to live in Duval County, Florida, or in Central York, Pennsylvania, our bedtime would likely have been mermaid-less. In these two school districts, Julian has been banned. Luckily, they haven’t yet found out about the sequel, Julian at the Wedding — although one district in Texas certainly has. Over in Hamilton, Tennessee, I’d have an equally hard time checking out a copy of Peter Pan — it’s not clear exactly why the JM Barrie classic has so offended Hamilton to the point where it’s been banned, but it seems unlikely to be in defence of the rights of crocodiles.

Book banning is always on the Index radar, but never more so that during Banned Books Week, which is right now. Earlier this week I wrote ([link removed]) about why Banned Books Week is more important than ever (with PEN America reporting that bans have increased by a third in a year), while Index CEO Ruth Anderson dealt with why freedom to read ([link removed]) is so important. Even Hollywood has been getting involved, with megastars signing a letter ([link removed]) calling for the industry to fight back. Who would have thought Ariana Grande and Judy Blume would end up on the same page?

A book ban starts with a challenge, and if successful, it ultimately ends in the books being taken off the shelves. I recently stumbled across a small anti-censorship community that posts pictures of book challenges directed at the Samuels Public Library in Virginia. Some of the challenges are so ridiculous they’d almost be funny if they weren’t destructive. In answer to the question “Have you read this book?” one self-appointed censor replies: “I have not”, while another embellishes their challenge against a book depicting a same-sex couple with a smiley face and heart doodles. The same arguments are played on repeat: “This book’s main person is a lesbian” or “I’m uncomfortable about the pro-gay agenda”. One accuses a book of grooming children — a phrase not unheard of in book banning circles.

Books with LGBTQ+ themes and books dealing with race are still some of the most commonly targeted. As one of the most-banned authors in the USA, Juno Dawson, told us in the latest issue of Index ([link removed]) (which launched this week): “When people challenge a book about race, or a book about being LGBTQ, really what they’re trying to ban is being queer, or they’re trying to restrict the lives of young Black people.”

Freedom to read is vital. So too is young people having access to a wealth of information and stories as they discover who they are and how the world works. That’s why on Saturday 7 October Banned Books Week (supported by a coalition which includes Index) is culminating in a day of action: Let Freedom Read Day ([link removed]) . Everyone is asked to take at least one action to help defend books from censorship. At Index, we’ve shared our ode to banned books ([link removed]) , each selecting a top recommendation — plus one book that a staffer hated, but supports its existence nonetheless. We’d love you to stand up against book bans by buying one of our favourite banned books, or by choosing another action from the Let Freedom Read campaign ([link removed]) .

The heat might be on US book banners right now, but it’s a problem across the world. Don’t let book bans go unnoticed.

Katie Dancey-Downs, assistant editor


** Vladimir Putin, do fuck off
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Not an uncensored outburst, but the name of a Ukrainian festival being held this weekend where Ukrainian culture is celebrated and the Russian president is ridiculed. John Sweeney provides insight ([link removed]) into what can be expected.


** Borderline breaches
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Journalists being questioned at borders is an increasingly worrying trend. Photo by Glenn Fawcett (CC0 1.0 DEED)

There are concerns all round after a journalist was interrogated by police at the UK border. Fréderike Geerdink digs into what happened ([link removed]) , and why the overstep has far-reaching consequences.


** From the Index archives
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** Blasphemy by Nicolas Walter
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** Summer 1977
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As we launch our latest issue of Index, In bad faith: How religion is being weaponised by the right ([link removed]) , we’ve dug right to the back of the archive. This story ([link removed]) comes from the early days of Index, laying out how Mary Whitehouse used UK laws to cry “Blasphemy!”.
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Index on Censorship defends people's freedom to express themselves without fear of harm or persecution. We publish censored writers and artists, monitor and campaign against censorship, and encourage debate.

We rely on donations from readers and supporters. By donating ([link removed]) to Index you help us to protect freedom of expression and to support those who are denied that right.
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