Banned Books Week Norway

Banned Books Week Norway was held for the first time in October 2024. In 2025, 590 libraries, bookstores, and organizations participated with exhibitions, events and other activities. Banned Books Week aims to raise awareness of freedom of expression and democracy, and to provide a framework for conversations and debate on these topics. The week helps to strengthen preparedness against various forms of censorship, and is a celebration of the freedom to read.

Banned Books Week has been held in the United States since 1982, and began as a response to growing challenges surrounding book censorship. Today, it is an international coalition of free speech organizations, libraries, publishers, and booksellers. In Sweden, the week is coordinated by Svenska PEN and the Dawit Isaak Library, in Denmark by Dansk PEN, and in the UK by Index on Censorship UK.

In Norway, the week is coordinated by the University Library in Oslo, in collaboration with Norwegian PEN and the Norwegian Library Association, with support from the Savings Bank Foundation and UiO:Democracy.

Press inquiries: https://www.ub.uio.no/bruk/forbudte-boker/kontakt.html