We’re halfway through the celebration, and Banned Books Week isn’t slowing down! Here’s a snapshot of how you can join the fun today!
Be sure to visit the Banned Books Week event page at https://bannedbooksweek.org/events/, where you can find events happening all over the world! If you’re hosting an event, let us know about it by completing this form — we’ll add it to the map!
Don’t forget to tag @BannedBooksWeek and #BannedBooksWeek on Twitter and Facebook when you share your Banned Books Week adventures!
Coalition Events
Webinar • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CDT
Ronald Wimberly (BLACK HISTORY IN ITS OWN WORDS) and Nate Powell (MARCH) in conversation with Scott Bonner (IFRT, Ferguson Municipal Public Library Director) about banned and challenged books, the role of censorship in civil rights movements, and how their work in comics has addressed legacies of erasure. Brought to you by ALA’s Graphic Novel Comics Round Table and Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and Image Comics. Find out more »
Webinar • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CDT
Did you know that hundreds of books are banned and challenged every year? In fact, you probably have some banned books on your own bookshelf! In this Banned Books Week webinar: discover why some popular titles have been banned; learn about the different ways a book can be censored; hear stories about students who stood up for the freedom to read; and find out how YOU can celebrate Banned Books Week. At the end of the program, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Interim Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone and Assistant Director Kristin Pekoll can answer your questions about banned books, censorship, and libraries. Find out more »
Hall Branch – Chicago Public Library, Chicago, IL • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
Budlong Woods Branch, Chicago, IL • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
Spider House Ballroom, Austin, TX • 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm CDT
A slightly raucous variety show celebrating the right to read whatever we please! In conjunction with the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, and presented with PEN America, the Banned Books Bash is a fun, nerdy reminder that books need champions, and libraries feed democracy. Hosted by the marvelous Evan Narcisse, writer for Marvel’s Black Panther series. Also featuring an homage to Toni Morrison with Dr. Jennifer Wilks,Drag Queen Storytime with Ms. Anne Thrope,
Comics Code & Teen Delinquency with Michael Conrad, and
a toast to rabble rouser Molly Ivins with The Texas Observer. Find out more »
Merely Players Presents, Doraville, GA • 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm EDT
A celebration of songs and scenes from censored plays in honor of Banned Books Week! Performed by Atlanta artists in association with the Atlanta Regional Dramatists Guild, Dramatists Guild Legal Fund and PEN America and brought to you by Merely Players Presents and Kalliope Studios, Doraville. Find out more »
Other Events
Central Fine Arts and International Baccalaureate Magnet High School, Macon, GA
- September 23 – 27: Banned book display / What Do the Author’s Say About Banned Books?
- September 25: Banned Book Bingo
- September 26: Banned Books Selfie Booth: Get caught reading a banned book in our photo booth and share your selfie to CHS social media page.
- September 27: Banned Books Film: The Giver
Find out more »
Fables Books, Goshen, IN • 11:00 am – 6:00 pm EDT
Dear Banned Author is a letter-writing campaign hosted by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. We will have a table set up all day where you can write to banned or challenged authors, sharing what their stories meant to you. To learn more about the Dear Banned Author campaign visit www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/dear-banned-author. For more information about Banned Books Week visit bannedbooksweek.org. Find out more »
Collin College Frisco Campus (Preston Ridge Campus) Conference Center, Frisco, TX • 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm CDT
Please join us for Collin College’s annual Banned Books Week celebration, a fun, interactive event with faculty and student readings of challenged, banned, and/or censored works and an exciting trivia competition with trophies and some fabulous prizes and trophies. This year there will also be a special dance performance by the Collin Dance Ensemble entitled, “Censorship is a Beast,” choreographed by Dance Professor Tiffanee Arnold! Pizza will be served. All are invited and welcome. Free admission. Find out more »
Banned Books Week is here! Events celebrating the right to read are taking place all over the world, and the members of the Banned Books Week Coalition are proud to present performances like Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret and Drag Queen Story Hour, talks, webinars, Dear Banned Author, and more to keep the light on!
Be sure to visit the Banned Books Week event page at https://bannedbooksweek.org/events/, where you can find events happening all over the world! If you’re hosting an event, let us know about it by completing this form — we’ll add it to the map!
Don’t forget to tag @BannedBooksWeek and #BannedBooksWeek on Twitter and Facebook when you share your Banned Books Week adventures!
Let’s take a look at how the members of the Banned Books Week Coalition are celebrating this week…
Weeklong Events
Dear Banned Author is a letter-writing campaign hosted by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. During Banned Books Week (September 22-28), readers are encouraged to write (or tweet) to banned or challenged authors, sharing what their stories meant to them. The goal of the campaign is to not only raise awareness of books that are threatened with censorship and support authors, but also encourage thoughtful discussions about the power of words and how essential it is to have access to a variety of viewpoints in libraries. Authors also have shared fan letters as support when there’s a public challenge to their books.
Speaking out for banned and challenged books is vital in the fight against censorship. This webpage includes resources and ideas on participating in the Dear Banned Author letter-writing campaign and hosting letter-writing programs.
Get Involved
- Write a letter to a banned and challenged author, telling them about a favorite title or how their words have impacted you. Use these Banned & Challenged Author Addresses.
- Host a letter-writing program at your library or school, bringing writing supplies and a list of author addresses. Use these Tips for Hosting Programs.
- Reach out to a favorite banned or challenged author by tagging them on Twitter and sharing your story using #DearBannedAuthor. Use these Tips for Tweeting.
- Share your #DearBannedAuthor story on Twitter for a chance to win Banned Books Week merchandise! Learn more about the Dear Banned Author Drawing and read the Official Rules before entering.
ALA OIF has a number of tools to facilitate programming around the Dear Banned Author Letter-Writing Campaign at http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/dear-banned-author
Stand for the Banned Virtual Read-Out
The annual Stand for the Banned Read-out invites readers to film themselves reading banned books or talking about censorship. Videos are highlighted on the Banned Books Week YouTube channel. Set up a space in your library, school, or store where your patrons can participate in the read-out. Get more details here.
Project Censored
Project Censored will celebrate Banned Books Week with several guests representing a variety of perspectives on censorship and advocacy for the right to read. Find the show at the Project Censored website, https://projectcensored.org/, during Banned Books Week.
#BannedTogether with Penguin Random House
This Banned Books Week, Penguin Random House is thrilled to #BannedTogether.
Read to fight censorship! For every Penguin Random House book you purchase during Banned Books week, PRH will donate $1 to the American Booksellers Association for Freedom of Expression Fund (up to $20,000 donation).
To participate, simply purchase a PRH book during Banned Books Week (9/22-9/28) and log your purchase into your Reader Rewards account. Not a member yet? Join free here.
While the book must be purchased from 9/22-9/28 to count towards a donation, you have until 9/30 to log your purchase. If your purchase is not eligible for Reader Rewards, we will still count it towards the donation. Email readerrewards@penguinrandomhouse.com and we’ll take care of you.
September 22
Sulzer Library, Chicago,IL • 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CDT
Free dramatic reading by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
September 23
Webinar • 8:00 am – 9:00 am CDT
What can librarians and educators do to help combat censorship? For public, school, and academic libraries, censorship is never a simple issue to navigate, especially when it involves parents, a board, or a fellow colleague. This year’s Banned Books Week (September 22-28, 2019) theme is “Censorship leaves us in the dark. Keep the light on.” In a webinar hosted by ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, Index on Censorship magazine, and SAGE Publishing, three librarians, one from each type of library, will share tips for navigating censorship issues. Find out more »
Knowledge Centre, The British Library, London, United Kingdom • 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm BST
Writers consider walls in literature and in our lives. 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, writers consider walls in literature and in our lives. With the resurgence of interest in the boundaries and borders of nations across the world, is the symbol of that wall still potent in 2019? Do walls and censorship go hand-in-hand? And are there places where a wall could mean safety rather than segregation? With David Hare and Ben Okri. Find out more »
Harvard Law School • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT
Harvard Law School Library Presents: Banned Books Week Svetlana Mintcheva, Director of Programs at the National Coalition Against Censorship and a literary scholar and public commentator will present a talk on the effects contemporary moral outrage has on the arts and culture. Co-sponsored by the Harvard Law School Library, the ACLU at HLS, the Harvard Law School Rule of Law Society, the Law and Philosophy Society, and the Harvard Federalist Society. A non-pizza lunch will be served. Find out more »
Webinar • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CDT
Andre R. Frattino (SIMON SAYS) and Sanford Green (BITTER ROOT) in conversation with Dr. Katie Monnin (Author of 8 books on teaching graphic novels, Why so serious? Productions Founder) about banned voices throughout history. Topics covered will also include the use of censorship as a mode of suppression, the erasure of dissenting voices from the historical narrative of our nation and others, and the legacy of those erasures as they affect current events.Brought to you by ALA’s Graphic Novel Comics Round Table and Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and Image Comics. Find out more »
ALA Headquarters-Chicago, Chicago, IL • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
Bridgeport Library, Chicago, IL • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
Frankfort Public Library, Frankfort, IL • 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
The Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg, FL • 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret is a celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on America’s stages, created to raise awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in the theater. Sponsored by the Dramatists Guild and the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, performances are taking place across the country during Banned Books Week, September 22-28.This Florida performance is directed by The Studio@620’s Bob Devin Jones and is a 50-minute mix of scenes and songs from plays and musicals producers have objected to, including The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged), Rent, Fun Home, An Octoroon, Kleptocracy, Chicago, and Cabaret. Find out more »
Parkway Central Library, PA • 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret is back for its fourth year in a row and appearing for the first time in Philadelphia! The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund (DLDF) created Banned Together as a celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on America’s stages, created to raise awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in the theater. The performances will feature selections from Cabaret, Chicago, The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged), An Octoroon and Calendar Girls, among other notable works, with a libretto by DLDF president John Weidman (Assassins) and J.T. Rogers (Oslo, Blood and Gifts). Find out more »
Central Library in Copely Square, Boston, MA • 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EDT
The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, in partnership with PEN America, presents Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret, a celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on America’s stages; Banned Together was created to raise awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in the theatre. Previous performances have featured selections from Cabaret, Chicago, Fun Home, Rent, and Angels in America, among other notable works, with contextual commentary by DLDF president John Weidman (Assassins). Find out more »
Alley Theatre’s Hubbard Stage, Houston, TX • 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm CDT
The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund (“DLDF”) in partnership with PEN America is pleased to present the Fourth annual Banned Together as a part of Banned Books Week (September 22nd-28th), the annual celebration of the freedom to read. Our Houston performance is Monday, September 23, 7:30pm at the Alley Theatre, Hubbard Stage. Banned Together is a celebration of scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on America’s stages, and was created to raise awareness around issues of censorship and free expression. Find out more »
Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL • 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm CDT
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret is a celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on America’s stages, created to raise awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in the theatre. This is the fourth year that Banned Together will be presented in Chicago. In previous years, Banned Together has been presented in over twenty-five cities across the U.S., and will be presented in multiple cities again this year, as a part of Banned Books Week.The Chicago performance will feature selections from Cabaret, Chicago, Fun Home, Rent, and Angels in America, among other notable works, with a libretto by DLDF president John Weidman (Assassins) and J.T. Rogers (Oslo, Blood and Gifts). Find out more »
September 24
Redland Library, Bristol, United Kingdom • 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm BST
The theme of the event is Banned Books and this is defined as books that have been banned, censored or challenged. In Desert Island Books, panel members select one or more books on the event theme plus a ‘wild card’, being a book that they have enjoyed and would recommend to others.
The panel comprises:
- Philip Kent (Director of Library Services & University Librarian, University of Bristol)
- Professor Madhu Krishnan (Professor of African, World & Comparative Literatures, University of Bristol)
- Jari Moate (Writer & Founder of Bristol Festival of Literature)
The event starts at 7pm, with doors opening at 6:45pm. Find out more »
Knowledge Centre, The British Library, London, United Kingdom • 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm BST
A reading and discussion of the 1962 play by John Osborne at the British Library in London, which miraculously avoided a ban at a time when attitudes towards sexual behaviour were just turning. How differently would the play’s themes of privacy and public morality be received today?This is a Banned Books Week event in partnership with the British Library, Booksellers Association, English PEN, Free Word, Hachette UK, Index on Censorship, Islington Council’s Library and Heritage Service, Libraries Connected, The Publishers Association and The Royal Society of Literature. Find out more »
Webinar • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CDT
Sloane Leong (PRISM STALKER) and Henry Barajas (VOZ DE M.A.Y.O. TATA RAMBO) in conversation with Alea Perez (GNCRT President-Elect) about banned people, the legacy of colonialism in literature and popular culture, and the rise of post-colonial voices as a challenge to systems which under-represent/under-acquire authors/artists of color. Brought to you by ALA’s Graphic Novel Comics Round Table and Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and Image Comics.Find out more »
Back of the Yards Library, Chicago, IL • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center, Menomonie, WI • 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm CDT
In the intellectual freedom community, our job is to change the world one mind at a time. With identity censorship rampant and an increasingly polarized social climate, the core value of free speech is now being called into question. During Banned Books Week, CBLDF Executive Director and Banned Books Week Coalition Chair Charles Brownstein draws on his experiences defending comics and graphic novels to reflect on the role of free expression in creating a culture of empathy, respect, curiosity, and intellectual freedom. Find out more »
Webinar • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm CDT
This Banned Books Week, join the conversation about access to information. Launched in 1982, Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and draws attention to the harms of censorship. During this presentation, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Assistant Director Kristin Pekoll will explore the history of Banned Books Week and why it’s important today; current censorship trends (it’s not just books that are targeted!); and specific ways readers can stay alert about censorship. Attendees are invited to ask questions during the second half of the program. Find out more »
All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa, OK • 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm CDT
Salman Rushdie returns to Tulsa for a celebration of his new novel, Quichotte, a dazzling Don Quixote for the modern age—a tour de force that is as much an homage to an immortal work of literature as it is to the quest for love and family. PEN America, alongside Magic City Books, is thrilled to commemorate this release right in time for Banned Books Week!
Rushdie, a former president of PEN America, will be joined in conversation by Pulitzer Prize finalist and PEN America Member Laila Lalami whose most recent and timely novel, The Other Americans, is at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story, all informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture. Join us to discuss a literary interpretation of a classic and the accompanying satirical commentary on our modern age of alternative facts. Find out more »
Scuppernong Books, Greensboro, NC • 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
Join Scuppernong Books on Tuesday, September 24 to celebrate banned and challenged books from around the world. In honor of Banned Books Week 2019 , the event will feature readings of banned books and involve the Scuppernong’s Young Adult Book Club, as well as the general public, with an educational component around PEN America’s Literature Locked Up campaign and provide an opportunity for participants to sign a petition calling for the right to read in American prisons. Find out more »
Mount Prospect Library, Mount Prospect, IL • 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
September 25
Webinar • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CDT
Ronald Wimberly (BLACK HISTORY IN ITS OWN WORDS) and Nate Powell (MARCH) in conversation with Scott Bonner (IFRT, Ferguson Municipal Public Library Director) about banned and challenged books, the role of censorship in civil rights movements, and how their work in comics has addressed legacies of erasure. Brought to you by ALA’s Graphic Novel Comics Round Table and Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and Image Comics. Find out more »
Webinar • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CDT
Did you know that hundreds of books are banned and challenged every year? In fact, you probably have some banned books on your own bookshelf! In this Banned Books Week webinar: discover why some popular titles have been banned; learn about the different ways a book can be censored; hear stories about students who stood up for the freedom to read; and find out how YOU can celebrate Banned Books Week. At the end of the program, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Interim Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone and Assistant Director Kristin Pekoll can answer your questions about banned books, censorship, and libraries. Find out more »
Hall Branch – Chicago Public Library, Chicago, IL • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
Budlong Woods Branch, Chicago, IL • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
Spider House Ballroom, Austin, TX • 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm CDT
A slightly raucous variety show celebrating the right to read whatever we please! In conjunction with the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, and presented with PEN America, the Banned Books Bash is a fun, nerdy reminder that books need champions, and libraries feed democracy. Hosted by the marvelous Evan Narcisse, writer for Marvel’s Black Panther series. Also featuring an homage to Toni Morrison with Dr. Jennifer Wilks,Drag Queen Storytime with Ms. Anne Thrope,
Comics Code & Teen Delinquency with Michael Conrad, and
a toast to rabble rouser Molly Ivins with The Texas Observer. Find out more »
Merely Players Presents, Doraville, GA • 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm EDT
A celebration of songs and scenes from censored plays in honor of Banned Books Week! Performed by Atlanta artists in association with the Atlanta Regional Dramatists Guild, Dramatists Guild Legal Fund and PEN America and brought to you by Merely Players Presents and Kalliope Studios, Doraville. Find out more »
September 26
The Cafe at Waterstones, London, United Kingdom • 9:00 am – 10:45 am BST
Write & Shine runs a programme of morning writing events in peaceful London locations. As part of Banned Books Week, we’ll host a session about writing that takes a stand. We’ll create subversive stories, consider rebellious writers & think about books that have changed the way we look at the world. RADICAL & REBELLIOUS Workshop, £19 – part of Banned Books Week. Find out more »
NYU Cantor Film Center, New York, NY • 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm EDT
With the 2020 election season picking up steam, debates over free speech, truth, and the university are of increasing relevance to the health of American democracy. But in an era of deepening polarization, many see these issues through partisan eyes, shouting into fractured echo chambers. Campuses seem to be at a cross-roads—can they restore a common understanding of facts, and of the rules of engagement and disagreement? Or are they in danger of buckling under the weight of our current culture war? Find out more »
Knowledge Centre, The British Library, London, United Kingdom • 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm BST
The UK has no official censorship – but does that fact make us too complacent? As part of Banned Book Week 2019, we explore the challenges facing LGBTQ+ Young Adult literature with Dean Atta, Fen Coles and Robin Stevens, chaired by Erica Gillingham. What are the invisible barriers to expression and publication? And how do editors, publishers, teachers, librarians, parents or even authors contribute to unofficial censorship around LGBTQ+ issues? Find out more »
Webinar • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CDT
Michelle Perez (THE PERVERT) and Grace Ellis (MOONSTRUCK) in conversation with Moni Barrette (GNCRT Board, Chula Vista Public Library Principal Librarian) about the disproportionately high incidence of bans and challenges levied against LGBTQ+ books in libraries and schools. This discussion will also touch on the recent increase in challenges and cancellations of Drag Storytimes in libraries across the nation. Brought to you by ALA’s Graphic Novel Comics Round Table and Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and Image Comics. Find out more »
Edgewater Branch, Chicago, IL • 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
Lincoln-Belmont Branch, Chicago, IL • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
September 27
Webinar • 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm PDT
Identity censorship is the most frequent form of intellectual freedom challenge in today’s environment. From moral panic about Drag Queen Story Hour to frequent challenges to LGBTQ+ comics, books, and authors, this disturbing trend is gaining traction. CBLDF engages a panel of experts to help you identify and intelligently address this growing problem. In the past year, CBLDF has participated in defending challenges and bans of books solely because they contain LGBTQ+ characters, curriculum rejected because it focused on LGBTQ+ titles, and community programs canceled solely because program participants identify as LGBTQ+. In this webinar, we will speak with individuals who’ve been on the front lines of this issue to identify the contours of the problem and discuss strategies for managing it. In addition to receiving CBLDF’s “Fighting Identity Censorship Toolkit,” all webinar participants are invited to share their own stories and receive face-to-face expert advice on managing identity censorship issues. Find out more »
Webinar • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CDT
David F. Walker (BITTER ROOT) in conversation with Ray James (IFRT Coalition Building Committee) about how privatization impacts access, particularly as it relates to prison libraries, as (most) US prisons are privatized and how this impacts inmate access to information. This discussion will also touch on how gatekeeping and biases (of librarians, prison staff, the public) affect access for this vulnerable population. Brought to you by ALA’s Graphic Novel Comics Round Table and Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and Image Comics. Find out more »
DePaul University Library, Chicago, IL • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
Kurt Vonnegut Museum, Indianapolis, IN • 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm EDT
Win prizes by showing your freedom of speech and banned book knowledge at Trivia Night with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)! Find out more »
Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Dallas, TX • 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm CDT
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret is a celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on America’s stages, created to raise awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in the theatre. The Dallas regional production will feature selections from Cabaret, Chicago, and Angels in America, among other notable works, with a libretto by DLDF president John Weidman (Assassins) and J.T. Rogers (Oslo, Blood and Gifts).
Banned Together, which takes place annually during PEN America’s Banned Books Week, is open to the public and free to attend. Reservations are encouraged, as we have limited capacity and this helps us anticipate audience size and plan accordingly. However, we may be able to accommodate those without an Eventbrite reservation on a first come, first served basis, pending remaining capacity and availability on the day. Find out more »
September 28
Wigtown Book Festival, Wigtown, Scotland, United Kingdom • 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm BST
It is 70 years since George Orwell published 1984. So how do our political and personal landscapes today compare to Orwell’s dystopia? And can the book shed light on today’s data-driven security and surveillance society? Our panel: Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry of Truth, an acclaimed new biography of 1984; award-winning foreign affairs writer David Pratt; and Julia Farrington of Index on Censorship. Chaired by Magnus Linklater.This is a Banned Books Week event in partnership with the British Library, Booksellers Association, English PEN, Free Word, Hachette UK, Index on Censorship, Islington Council’s Library and Heritage Service, Libraries Connected, The Publishers Association and The Royal Society of Literature. Find out more »
Bookmans Mesa, Messa, AZ • 10:00 am – 11:00 am MST
Something banned this way comes! Join Drag Story Hour- Arizona at Bookmans Mesa for a story hour hosted by Felicia Minor and Freddy Prinze Charming. Let’s love all banned books and celebrate the growth of Drag Queen Story Hours in the face of challenge. Find out more »
Bezazian Branch, Chicago, IL • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT
Free dramatic readings by City Lit Theater from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. The program lasts approximately 50 minutes. Find out more »
Asia Society, New York, NY • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT
Xiaoze Xie will discuss his research into the history of censorship in China that inspired the current exhibition Xiaoze Xie: Objects of Evidence. The artist will be joined by noted experts on the subject of censorship Martin Heijdra, Princeton University, and James Tager, PEN America in a panel led by Michelle Yun, Asia Society Museum Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.
The program is organized in conjunction with Banned Books Week, September 22-28, 2019.
The program is free and registration is required. Register here. Find out more »
Columbus Metropolitan Library, Main Library (Auditorium), Columbus, OH • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT
Over the years CRNI has become a fixture at the annual conventions of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC), which this year takes place as part of the Cartoon Crossroads Columbus Festival (CXC). We are enormously grateful to the organizers from both events for an opportunity to highlight issues facing cartoonists around the world with a panel discussion open to the public. Our panelists are:
- Terry Anderson (UK), Deputy Executive Director, CRNI
- Charles Brownstein (USA), Executive Director, CBLDF
- Ritu Gairola Khanduri (India/USA), Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology, University of Texas and Board of Directors, CRNI
- PX Molina (Nicaragua), cartoonist, CRNI Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award-winner 2018
- Ann Telnaes (Norway/USA), cartoonist, former AAEC President, CRNI advisor
- Zunar (Malaysia), cartoonist, CRNI Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award-winner 2011
Find out more »
St John’s Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, NY • 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT
Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is just what it sounds like—drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores. DQSH captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models. In spaces like this, kids are able to see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where people can present as they wish, where dress up is real. Find out more »
The Bindery, San Francisco, CA • 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm PDT
What better way to celebrate Banned Books Week than with Drag Queen Story Hour! The Banned Books Week Coalition presents this special event on September 28 at The Bindery (1727 Haight Street, San Francisco), The Booksmith’s multi-purpose events space. Join some of San Francisco’s most glamorous drag queens as they read challenged and banned picture books to entertain children of all ages! Doors will open at 2:00 p.m., with the reading to start at 2:30 p.m.The event is free and open to the public, but priority will be given to parents with their children. Find out more »
Deep Vellum Books, Dallas, TX • 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm CDT
Join Deep Vellum Publishing and Books on Saturday, September 28 to celebrate banned and challenged books from around the world. This event will feature literary karaoke of banned titles, including The Poetry Project’s BREAK OUT reading by an incarcerated writer, a screening of Phoneme Media’s short film Kilómetro Cero about the persecuted Equitorial Guinean writer Marcelo Ensemo Nsang, literary crafts, and a giveaway featuring challenged books from Deep Vellum and Phoneme’s catalog. Find out more »
BookBar, Denver, CO • 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm MDT
Join BookBar on Saturday, September 28 to celebrate banned and challenged books from around the world. In honor of Banned Books Week 2019, the event will feature an open mic for readings of banned books. Bring your favorite banned book or pick one up and read a 2-3 minute passage! This event is free and open to the public. Find out more »
September 29
Darkhorse Theater, Nashville, TN • 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm CDT
The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, in partnership with PEN America, is proud to present the Tennessee production of “Banned Together.” Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret is a celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on America’s stages, created to raise awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in the theatre.The Nashville regional production will feature selections from Cabaret, Chicago, and Angels in America, among other notable works, with a libretto by DLDF president John Weidman (Assassins) and J.T. Rogers (Oslo, Blood and Gifts). This performance will be produced byActors Bridge Ensemble, performed by Lipscomb theatre students, and directed by Abby Charles. Find out more »
October 1
Harold Washington Library, Chicago, IL • 6:15 pm – 7:30 pm CDT
For more than 200 years, the First Amendment has impacted art and civic life through freedom of expression. Political cartoons, controversial speech, the culture wars, and images posted on social media platforms are just some of the kinds of expression that have challenged—or been challenged by—First Amendment freedoms. But what speech gets protected in the United States, and who gets to speak? Why do we restrict speech in some places more than others?What challenges do libraries face in being the custodians for a variety of speech acts? How does art shape our First Amendment freedoms? Find out more »
The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund (DLDF), in partnership with PEN America, is pleased to present the fourth annual Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret as a part of Banned Books Week (September 22-28), the annual celebration of the freedom to read.
The show will be performed in eight cities around the country:
- Atlanta – The Atlanta Cuban Club/ Kalliope Studios (September 25, 7:30 – 9:30 PM EDT; event info)
- Boston – Boston Public Library (September 23, 7:00 – 8:30 PM EDT; event info)
- Chicago – Roosevelt University (September 23, 7:30 – 9:00 PM CDT; event info)
- Houston – Alley Theater (September 23, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM CDT; event info)
- Dallas – Bishop Arts Theater (September 27, 8:00 – 9:30 PM CDT; event info)
- Nashville – Actors Bridge Studio at Darkhorse Chapel (September 29, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM CDT; event info)
- Philadelphia – Free Library of Philadelphia (September 23, 7:00 – 10:00 PM EDT; event info)
- St. Petersburg, FL – Palladium Theater (September 23, 7:00 PM EDT; event info)
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret is a celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on America’s stages, created to raise awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in the theater. The performances will feature selections from Cabaret, Chicago, An Octoroon, Rent and Angels in America, among other notable works, with a libretto by DLDF President John Weidman (Assassins) and J.T. Rogers (Oslo, Blood and Gifts).
The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization created by the Dramatists Guild to advocate for free expression in the dramatic arts and a vibrant public domain for all, and to educate the public about the industry standards surrounding theatrical production and about the protections afforded dramatists under copyright law. www.dldf.org @TheDLDF
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. www.pen.org @PENamerican
It’s the last hurrah for Banned Books Week! How are you celebrating the right to read on the final day of celebration? Here are a few suggestions for events around the country!
Be sure to visit the Banned Books Week event page at https://bannedbooksweek.org/events/, where you can find events happening all over the world! If you’re hosting an event, let us know about it by completing this form — we’ll add it to the map!
Don’t forget to tag @BannedBooksWeek and #BannedBooksWeek on Twitter and Facebook when you share your Banned Books Week adventures!
Let’s take a look at how people are celebrating today…
Banned Books Week Coalition Events
Image Comics Livestream: Skottie Young
Twitch, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Image Comics is celebrating Banned Books Week with Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and The Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table of the American Library Association by producing a week of Library Livestreams featuring creators Nick Dragotta (EAST OF WEST), Grace Ellis (MOONSTRUCK, Lumberjanes), Pornsak Pichetshote (INFIDEL), Charles Soule (CURSE WORDS), and Skottie Young(I HATE FAIRYLAND, BULLY WARS, MIDDLEWEST).
Simply visit the Image Comics Twitch page at https://www.twitch.tv/imagecomics. All webinars will run from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. EST and will include a discussion between moderator and creator for 40-45 minutes; followed by 15-20 minutes of Q&A participation with live audience. No registration is required to view these livestreams.
Riverhead Pop-Up Reading Room: Banned Books Week
Brooklyn, New York, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET
You’re invited to the latest installment of Riverhead’s open-air, thematically curated pop-up reading rooms! September’s pop-up is in honor of Banned Books Week; join us in celebrating the freedom to read as we feature books and authors from the Riverhead collection that have been challenged in schools and libraries around the country, or address themes or topics that inspire passionate discussion, from startling subversions of religion in Khaled Hosseini’s acclaimed novel The Kite Runner to profoundly honest explorations of sexuality and oppression in Garrard Conley’s memoir Boy Erased. Throughout the day, peruse books that start essential conversations: our shelves will be stocked with Mohsin Hamid’s heartrending and inventive Exit West, R.O. Kwon’s explosive The Incendiaries, and Patricia Lockwood’s equal parts saucy and sublime Priestdaddy. Younger readers are encouraged to attend and get lost in wonderfully original and illuminating titles like John Green’s Looking for Alaska, David Levithan’s Two Boys Kissing, Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, and many more titles courtesy of our friends at Random House Children’s Books and Penguin Young Readers.
Stop by the pop-up to read, to engage with fellow readers about the vital need for books that generate debate and deeper reflection, and take part in Banned Books Week activities that amplify the stories and voices of those that need to be heard today. The pop-up will ask visitors to consider the question: What would it be like to live in a world without open access to ideas and literature? There will be sponsored snacks and beverages available on-site, and a chance to win Riverhead totes filled with signed copies of the hottest new books by Riverhead authors Khaled Hosseini (including his latest illustrated novel Sea Prayer), Meg Wolitzer, and Lauren Groff, as well as a custom Penguin Random House Banned Books Box.
More info: https://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/events/riverhead-pop-up-reading-room-banned-books-week
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret—Houston, Texas
Queensbury Theatre, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. CT
Join the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, in partnership with PEN America, as they present Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret during Banned Books Week 2018 (September 23-29). This lively celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on the American stage raises awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in theater. The performances will feature selections from Chicago, Fun Home, Spring Awakening, and The Laramie Project, among other notable works. Join Producing Executive Director, Marley Singletary, who will direct Equity actors and Tribble School for the Performing Arts students, in this celebration of songs and scenes. The pieces will be linked with a libretto by DLDF president John Weidman.
Dear Banned Author Letter Writing Campaign (all week)
Dear Banned Author is a letter-writing campaign hosted by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. During Banned Books Week (September 23-29), readers are encouraged to write to their favorite banned or challenged authors, sharing what their stories meant to them. The goal of the campaign is to not only raise awareness of books that are threatened with censorship and support authors, but also encourage thoughtful discussions about the power of words and how essential it is to have access to a variety of viewpoints in libraries. Authors also have shared fan letters as support when there’s a public challenge to their books.
ALA OIF has a number of tools to facilitate programming around the Dear Banned Author Letter-Writing Campaign at http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/dear-banned-author
Project Censored (all week)
Project Censored will celebrate Banned Books Week with several guests representing a variety of perspectives on censorship and advocacy for the right to read. Find the show at the Project Censored website, https://projectcensored.org/, during Banned Books Week.
Penguin Random House Instagram Sweepstakes Benefitting We Need Diverse Books (all week)
This year, Penguin Random House is highlighting quotes from books that have been challenged or banned in a social media sweepstakes competition, open to participants who repost these quotes or tag a friend and comment with the hashtags #BannedBooksWeek and #Sweepstakes. For every entry, Penguin Random House will donate one book – up to 5,000 total – to We Need Diverse Books, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.
To participate in this campaign, follow @PenguinRandomHouse on Instagram.
More info…
Other Events
Banned Books Week Open Mic
September 29
Ellen Plumb’s City Bookstore, 1122 Commercial Ave.
Emporia, KS 66801 United States
Banned Books Week 2018, the annual celebration of the freedom to read, will be held September 23 – 29. The 2018 theme, “Banning Books Silences Stories,” is a reminder that everyone needs to speak out against the tide of censorship. Celebrate our local authors and artists as they take to the stage and speak out against censorship. Bring something to read (an excerpt from a banned book, maybe?) or something to play (protest songs seem appropriate, yes?) and join Ellen Plumb’s City Bookstore as we take a stand against censorship. We’ll be posting video, Facebook LIVE, as we celebrate Banned Books Week. More info…
Banned Book Week at the Warehouse
September 29 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm EDT
The Friends’ Used Book Store at the Warehouse, 8456 Vine Street
Cincinnati, OH 45216 United States
The Friends of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County are participating in Banned Books Week. Check out our display when you are shopping. Grab a coloring sheet and enter our coloring contest. Pick up a free Banned Book Week bookmark. Most of all, find hundreds of banned and challenged books on our shelves. Saturdays 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Books on the Chopping Block
September 29
Free Dramatic Readings by City Lit Theater Company of excerpts from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual freedom.
Today’s events:
Saturday 9/29, 11:00AM – Bezazian Branch – Chicago Public Library
1226 W. Ainslie St., Chicago, IL
Saturday 9/29, 2:30PM – Lincolnwood Public Library
4000 W. Pratt Ave., Lincolnwood, IL
Indy Celebrates the Freedom to Read!
September 29 @ 12:00 pm – October 4 @ 8:00 pm EDT
Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, 340 N Senate Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46260 United States
The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is celebrating the freedom to read and expression of ideas during Banned Books Week! This year, Ball State University English professor Rai Peterson will be living in the front window of KVML as our prisoner. For the entire week she will be imprisoned behind a wall of banned books, while joining the community in exploring censorship and challenged works. From September 24-29, we invite you to join our prisoner for readings and discussions with guests such as Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, IUPUI professor Trevor Potts, Hunter S. Thompson’s son Juan Thompson, playwright Kenneth Jones, and more! More info…
Virtual Read Out
September 29 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm CDT
North-East Public Library, 6000 Wilson Rd
Kansas City, MO 64123 United States
Stand up against censorship by participating in a virtual read out! We will record you reading a banned or challenged book on iMovie. Then, we will guide you through the editing process, and we will post them to YouTube for Banned Books Week! More info…
The Underground Art Show: Works Inspired by Banned Books
September 29 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT
North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Rd
Suffolk, VA 23435 United States
On this date, we challenge all ages to create a piece of art based off of a banned book for an open reception where all the art will be displayed, judged, and winners will receive a prize. Passive art-making stations will also be set up. Art submissions will be accepted September 1st through the 28th at all three branches. You will be asked to fill out a submission form when dropping off your piece. More info…
Banned Books Trivia
September 29 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm CDT
Katy Budget Books, 2450 Fry Road
Houston, TX 77084 United States
All week in store, you can come by and see our Banned Books display and learn about books banned throughout history. To wrap up Banned Books Week, we’re hosting a Banned Books Trivia Night. There will be a $5 entry fee, the proceeds of which will be donated to The American Booksellers for Free Expression, whose mission is to promote and protect the free exchange of ideas, particularly those contained in books. There will be prizes for the top three scores and a whole lot of fun! More info…
Banned Books Week Party at Brothers 2018!
September 29 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm CDT
brothers lounge, 3812 Farnam St.
Omaha, NE 68105 United States
Celebrate Banned Books Week with your friends from Solid Jackson Books, Dundee Book Company, and Brothers Lounge! We’ll have a trivia game and other activities. Plus beer, cocktails, and darts! Grab a pint or two, join the conversation about why it’s important to keep free speech free, and stick it to the book-burners by perusing important books that some want to label as obscene. And some that are obscene, but only in the best ways. A selection of banned and band books (both used and new) will be available for purchase. More info…
Banned Books Bingo
September 29 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EDT
Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway
New York, NY 10003 United States
To celebrate Banned Books Week this year, we’re doing banned book-themed bingo night! There will be 6 rounds, all different themes, and one winner per round. Winners will be awarded Strand goodies and prizes. The evening will be bookended (get it?!) by performances by our invited Queen of the Banned, SOL! More info…
We’ve reached the midpoint of Banned Books Week. What are you doing to celebrate today? Here are a few suggestions for events around the country!
Be sure to visit the Banned Books Week event page at https://bannedbooksweek.org/events/, where you can find events happening all over the world! If you’re hosting an event, let us know about it by completing this form — we’ll add it to the map!
Don’t forget to tag @BannedBooksWeek and #BannedBooksWeek on Twitter and Facebook when you share your Banned Books Week adventures!
Let’s take a look at how people are celebrating today…
Banned Books Week Coalition Events
Drag Queen Story Hour Reads Banned Books
Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, New York, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. ET
Drag Queen Story Hour is just what it sounds like–drag queens read children’s books and lead creative activities promoting imagination and freedom of self-expression. In honor of Banned Books Week, we’ll be reading books from the ALA’s Top Ten Banned Books of 2017 list. Half of the books on the list were challenged for LGBTQ themes, so this story hour could not be more needed to ensure that these important stories are not silenced. Co-hosted by Drag Queen Story Hour and the National Coalition Against Censorship. All families are welcome to join us at the Brooklyn Public Library! https://www.facebook.com/events/721323064882141/
Image Comics Livestream: Nick Dragotta
Twitch, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Image Comics is celebrating Banned Books Week with Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and The Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table of the American Library Association by producing a week of Library Livestreams featuring creators Nick Dragotta (EAST OF WEST), Grace Ellis (MOONSTRUCK, Lumberjanes), Pornsak Pichetshote (INFIDEL), Charles Soule (CURSE WORDS), and Skottie Young (I HATE FAIRYLAND, BULLY WARS, MIDDLEWEST).
Simply visit the Image Comics Twitch page at https://www.twitch.tv/imagecomics. All webinars will run from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. EST and will include a discussion between moderator and creator for 40-45 minutes; followed by 15-20 minutes of Q&A participation with live audience. No registration is required to view these livestreams.
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret—Golden, Colorado
Miners Alley Playhouse, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. MT
Join the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, in partnership with PEN America, as they present Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret during Banned Books Week 2018 (September 23-29). This lively celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on the American stage raises awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in theater. The performances will feature selections from Chicago, Spring Awakening, Cabaret, Rent, and Angels in America, among other notable works. https://pen.org/event/banned-together-denver-co/
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret—Los Angeles, California
Skylight Theatre, 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. PT
Join the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, in partnership with PEN America, as they present Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret during Banned Books Week 2018 (September 23-29). This lively celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on the American stage raises awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in theater. The performances will feature selections from Chicago, Spring Awakening, Cabaret, Rent, and Angels in America, among other notable works.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/banned-together-a-censorship-cabaret-tickets-50217324369
Dear Banned Author Letter Writing Campaign (all week)
Dear Banned Author is a letter-writing campaign hosted by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. During Banned Books Week (September 23-29), readers are encouraged to write to their favorite banned or challenged authors, sharing what their stories meant to them. The goal of the campaign is to not only raise awareness of books that are threatened with censorship and support authors, but also encourage thoughtful discussions about the power of words and how essential it is to have access to a variety of viewpoints in libraries. Authors also have shared fan letters as support when there’s a public challenge to their books.
ALA OIF has a number of tools to facilitate programming around the Dear Banned Author Letter-Writing Campaign at http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/dear-banned-author
Project Censored (all week)
Project Censored will celebrate Banned Books Week with several guests representing a variety of perspectives on censorship and advocacy for the right to read. Find the show at the Project Censored website, https://projectcensored.org/, during Banned Books Week.
Penguin Random House Instagram Sweepstakes Benefitting We Need Diverse Books (all week)
This year, Penguin Random House is highlighting quotes from books that have been challenged or banned in a social media sweepstakes competition, open to participants who repost these quotes or tag a friend and comment with the hashtags #BannedBooksWeek and #Sweepstakes. For every entry, Penguin Random House will donate one book – up to 5,000 total – to We Need Diverse Books, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.
To participate in this campaign, follow @PenguinRandomHouse on Instagram.
More info…
Other Events
UK Drill & Grime–What’s the Problem?
September 26 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm BST
Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road
London, EC1R 3GA United Kingdom
How is music that reflects the lives of marginalised youths on inner-city estates treated in the UK?
Part of Free Word’s upcoming THIS IS PRIVATE Season, launching 5 September 2018.
“This is how it’s been from the beginning, it’s just that everyone is hearing about it now.”
South London rapper Giggs spoke out in 2010 about the forced cancellations of his shows by the Met Police using the risk assessment Form 696. 8 years later, Form 696 has been scrapped, yet UK drill groups are being banned from YouTube and in some cases prohibited from making music without police approval, in case of lyrics that “encourage violence”.
How is music that reflects the lives of marginalised youths on inner-city estates treated in the UK, and what does this say about the censoring of certain voices and communities? With Grime MC P Money, DJ A.G, Drill Producer Carns Hill and Journalist Ciaran Thapar. More info…
Banned Books Read-Out
September 26 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm CDT
Texas State University, 601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666 United States
Alkek Library will observe Banned Books Week 2018 by celebrating our freedom to read during the annual Read-Out. Alkek Library invites the Texas State community to read from their favorite Banned Book on September 26th, 2018. Readings will take place from 10am-2pm in the Alkek Library Open Theater on the main floor. We will have a selection of books available for you to choose or bring your own. Sign up for a 5 minute reading spot here: http://bit.ly/readout2018
Don’t feel like reading? That’s okay! Join the audience and listen. More info…
Banning Books Silences Stories Workshop & Freeze Mob
September 26 @ 11:15 am – 12:05 pm CDT
University of West Florida John C. Pace Library, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 32
Pensacola, FL 32514 United States
Banned Books Week gives students the opportunity to support free expression and intellectual freedom. Books tell stories and everyone’s stories should have the right to be heard! Don’t be silent, speak out against censorship by joining us Wednesday, September 26th, as we celebrate Banned Books Week and promote the freedom to read. Our “Banning Books Silences Stories” workshop will start at 11:15 in the Great Good Place of the University of West Florida John C. Pace Library followed by a fun 3-minute reading “freeze mob” on the UWF Cannon Green at noon. Everyone is welcome to participate in either or both events. More info…
Indy Celebrates the Freedom to Read!
September 26 @ 12:00 pm – October 1 @ 8:00 pm EDT
Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, 340 N Senate Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46260 United States
The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is celebrating the freedom to read and expression of ideas during Banned Books Week!
This year, Ball State University English professor Rai Peterson will be living in the front window of KVML as our prisoner. For the entire week she will be imprisoned behind a wall of banned books, while joining the community in exploring censorship and challenged works.
From September 24-29, we invite you to join our prisoner for readings and discussions with guests such as Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, IUPUI professor Trevor Potts, Hunter S. Thompson’s son Juan Thompson, playwright Kenneth Jones, and more!
Not only are we supporting banned books, but also mental health awareness and our year of programming theme Lonesome No More. Kurt Vonnegut’s daughter Nanette will share her family’s story and struggle with mental health challenges. More info…
Afternoon Conversations Real Life Rebel: Telling Her Story
September 26 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT
Morgan Memorial Library, 443 W Washington St
Suffolk, VA 23434 United States
Margaret Tolbert will discuss her book, “Resilience in the Face of Adversity,” about growing up in Suffolk during the Civil Rights struggle and overcoming adversity during that time. More info…
UNLV Libraries Banned Books Buffet
September 26 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm PDT
UNLV Lied Library, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89145 United States
Explore a banned or challenged book at the UNLV University Libraries Banned Books Buffet on Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 2-4 p.m. in the Amargosa Room at Lied Library in Las Vegas. Celebrate your freedom to read and right to choose during Banned Books Week!
Every year there are hundreds of attempts to remove banned books from schools and libraries. The Banned Books Buffet is an annual event celebrating your right to choose what to read. Explore books like Catcher in the Rye, Harry Potter, and Captain Underpants. Fight censorship, read a banned or challenged book, learn about intellectual freedom, have a snack, and more at this event. More info…
Banned Books Reading
September 26 @ 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm EDT
Muskegon Community College, 221 S. Quarterline Rd
Muskegon, MI 49442 United States
In conjunction with Banned Books Week on Sept. 23-29, 2018, Muskegon Community College will host an event on Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Blue and Gold Room. Excerpts will be read from books that have been challenged and banned in schools, libraries, and communities across the nation. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. More info…
Banned Books Week Discussion
September 26 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm EDT
Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System, 823 Telfair St
Augusta, GA 30901 United States
Program For Teens ~ Grades 6-12
Discuss your favorite banned books, the reasons why they were banned, and ways we can celebrate these books and our freedom to read. We’ll also showcase the Banned Books Week Virtual Read Out videos you create! More info…
Escape Room – Banned Books Week
September 26 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
Central Branch Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street
Arlington, VA 22201 United States
Celebrate your freedom to read with a Banned Books Week-inspired escape room challenge!
It seems some of our favorite novels have begun to mysteriously disappear from our stacks. We need your help solving a series of riddles, puzzles, and clues to figure out where they have gone. If you are up to the task, please inquire immediately!
It’s a great chance to bond with family & friends.
Think you can solve the mystery in time?
For ages 16 and up. Register your 4-6 person group for 1 session:
This is an Escape Room style, timed game. There will not be a room to escape – only puzzles to solve.
More info…
I Totes Read Banned Books Craft
September 26 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm EDT
The Connection Branch Library, 2100 Crystal Drive
Arlington, VA 22202 United States
Decorate a tote bag with your favorite quote from a banned book. Support freedom of expression and fashionably rock your reading uncensored! All supplies provided. More info…
Anarchy in the Stacks: DIY Book Making Workshop
September 26 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm EDT
Morgan Memorial Library, 443 W Washington St
Suffolk, VA 23434 United States
On this date, we bring you a DIY Workshop open to adults and teens interested in the “forbidden” craft of bookmaking. All materials provided. Registration is required. More info…
Banned Book Celebration
September 26 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm EDT
Book Cottage, 1901 Horton Rd
Jackson, MI 49203 United States
Join us in discussing your favorite banned book. We will talk about why they were banned and celebrate how many you have read! Food will be available at the Whimsical Cottage Cafe, this event is free! More info…
Person’s silhouette entering the backlit hall
Banned Books Week Lecture: Utopian Communities
September 26 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm EDT
Shirlington Branch Library, 4200 Campbell Avenue
Arlington, VA 22206 United States
What is the history of utopianism and what kinds of experiments have there been in the U.S.? Why do a few succeed, but most fail? What social conditions make people want to escape into a utopia?
Celebrate Banned Books Week and get the answers to these questions in a talk with Mary McCutcheon, a former professor of anthropology at George Mason University from 1988 to 2004. Learn about controversial utopian thinkers and writers. More info…
Banned Books Week Talk
September 26 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm MDT
Logan Library, 255 N Main St
Logan, UT 84321 United States
Join us for “Intellectual Freedom: A Value for the Left and the Right,” a presentation by Wanda Huffaker, Chair of the Utah Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee. Free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. Sponsored by the Logan Library and the Friends of the Logan Library. More info…
Books on the Chopping Block
September 26 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm CDT
Multiple, Chicago, IL United States
Free Dramatic Readings by City Lit Theater Company of excerpts from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual freedom.
Today’s event:
Wednesday 9/26, 7:30PM – Mt. Prospect Library
10 S. Emerson St., Mount Prospect, IL
What are you doing to celebrate the third day of Banned Books Week? Here are a few suggestions for events around the country!
Be sure to visit the Banned Books Week event page at https://bannedbooksweek.org/events/, where you can find events happening all over the world! If you’re hosting an event, let us know about it by completing this form — we’ll add it to the map!
Don’t forget to tag @BannedBooksWeek and #BannedBooksWeek on Twitter and Facebook when you share your Banned Books Week adventures!
Let’s take a look at how people are celebrating today…
Banned Books Week Coalition Events
Speaking Out: Voicing Movements in the Face of Censorship
Webinar, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT
Join the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, SAGE Publishing, and Index on Censorship for “Speak Out: Voicing Movements in the Face of Censorship.” In this Banned Books Week webinar, authors will engage in conversation on writing, activism, and speaking out. How have they used their words to speak out about something that has been silenced? What is the difference between being a voice of and for a movement? And what will it take for America to be censorship free in both oral and written word?
Our featured speakers include:
- Brandy Colbert, award-winning author of various fiction works including Little & Lion, a story that touches on the intersection of race, sexuality, and religion
- Alex Gino, author of George, an award-winning and heartwarming middle grade book about a transgender girl
- Marni Brown, acclaimed author of Gendered Lives, Sexual Beings, a textbook lauded for its intersectional framework, and an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Georgia Gwinnett College
The webinar will be moderated by Jemimah Steinfield, Deputy Editor of the award-winning Index on Censorship magazine.
Register for the webinar at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6749024865921094915
Image Comics Livestream: Pornsak Pichetshote
Twitch, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Image Comics is celebrating Banned Books Week with Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and The Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table of the American Library Association by producing a week of Library Livestreams featuring creators Nick Dragotta (EAST OF WEST), Grace Ellis (MOONSTRUCK, Lumberjanes), Pornsak Pichetshote (INFIDEL), Charles Soule (CURSE WORDS), and Skottie Young (I HATE FAIRYLAND, BULLY WARS, MIDDLEWEST).
Simply visit the Image Comics Twitch page at https://www.twitch.tv/imagecomics. All webinars will run from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. EST and will include a discussion between moderator and creator for 40-45 minutes; followed by 15-20 minutes of Q&A participation with live audience. No registration is required to view these livestreams.
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret—Buffalo, New York
Nichols School, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET
Join the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, in partnership with PEN America, as they present Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret during Banned Books Week 2018 (September 23-29). This lively celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on the American stage raises awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in theater. The performances will feature selections from Chicago, Spring Awakening, Cabaret, Rent, and Angels in America, among other notable works. Buffalo, NY, based actor, director, and theatre educator Kristen Tripp Kelley will direct Nichols high school students and alumni in a collection of previously censored scenes and songs. The ensemble is proud to join with Banned Together artists and citizens around the country in the promotion of our freedom of expression.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/banned-together-2018-western-new-york-tickets-48878975331
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret—St. Louis, Missouri
Tesseract Theatre, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. CT
Join the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, in partnership with PEN America, as they present Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret during Banned Books Week 2018 (September 23-29). This lively celebration of songs and scenes from shows that have been censored or challenged on the American stage raises awareness around issues of censorship and free expression in theater. The performances will feature selections from Chicago, Spring Awakening, Cabaret, Rent, and Angels in America, among other notable works.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/banned-together-st-louis-tickets-49681392382
Censored: Inside the Lord Chamberlain’s Office (British Library)
September 25 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm BST
When: Tue 25 Sep 2018, 19:00 – 20:30
Where: Knowledge Centre The British Library 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB
Tickets: From £8 to £12 via British Library
50 years after the Lord Chamberlain’s Office stopped censoring British theatre,Kathryn Johnson, Steve Nicholson and Dan Rebellato shed light on the inner workings of the former ‘fun police’. They are joined by writer and director Vinay Patel, author of the smash-hit BBC drama Murdered by My Father, who writes a short scene especially for the occasion which is performed and censored on the night.
How did censorship used to work? How could playwrights play the system? And what was the cost of censorship for society? Drawing on a wealth of examples and anecdotes from the Lord Chamberlain’s archive, held by the British Library, our panel of experts discover what would have got you into trouble (and clever ways you might have got around it…)
Hosted by The British Library as part of Banned Books Week UK 2018. More info…
Dear Banned Author Letter Writing Campaign (all week)
Dear Banned Author is a letter-writing campaign hosted by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. During Banned Books Week (September 23-29), readers are encouraged to write to their favorite banned or challenged authors, sharing what their stories meant to them. The goal of the campaign is to not only raise awareness of books that are threatened with censorship and support authors, but also encourage thoughtful discussions about the power of words and how essential it is to have access to a variety of viewpoints in libraries. Authors also have shared fan letters as support when there’s a public challenge to their books.
ALA OIF has a number of tools to facilitate programming around the Dear Banned Author Letter-Writing Campaign at http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/dear-banned-author
Project Censored (all week)
Project Censored will celebrate Banned Books Week with several guests representing a variety of perspectives on censorship and advocacy for the right to read. Find the show at the Project Censored website, https://projectcensored.org/, during Banned Books Week.
Other Events
Censura a impressos no Brasil: da colônia aos dias atuais – Censorship to printed in Brazil: from the colony to the present day
September 25 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm UTC-4
Biblioteca Central da Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Gleba A, UnB
Asa Norte, Brasília – DF, 70910-900 Brazil
This lecture will present the multiple facets of censorship of books and periodicals in Brazil, going through all historical periods since the colonization. There will also be some censored titles that we have in the Rare Books Sector, such as the periodicals Correio Braziliense periodicals (1808), Pasquim e Movimento, the book Mein Kampf of Hitler, among others. More info…
Banned Books Week at Marist College: Uncensored Readings & Banned Book Bingo
September 25 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT
Marist College, 3399 North Rd.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 United States
Join us for Banned Book Bingo and Uncensored Readings! Banned Book Bingo will take place on Monday, September 24th, 7 – 9:00 pm in the Cabaret and Uncensored Readings will be on Monday, September 24th and Tuesday, September 25th from 12 – 4:00 pm in the Library Lobby. If you would like to get involved as a reader, please email Emily.Doyle@marist.edu. Also, don’t forget to check out a book this month from our Banned Books display that will be on the main floor of the library during Banned Books Week! More info…
Indy Celebrates the Freedom to Read!
September 25 @ 12:00 pm – September 30 @ 8:00 pm EDT
Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, 340 N Senate Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46260 United States
The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is celebrating the freedom to read and expression of ideas during Banned Books Week!
This year, Ball State University English professor Rai Peterson will be living in the front window of KVML as our prisoner. For the entire week she will be imprisoned behind a wall of banned books, while joining the community in exploring censorship and challenged works.
From September 24-29, we invite you to join our prisoner for readings and discussions with guests such as Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, IUPUI professor Trevor Potts, Hunter S. Thompson’s son Juan Thompson, playwright Kenneth Jones, and more!
Not only are we supporting banned books, but also mental health awareness and our year of programming theme Lonesome No More. Kurt Vonnegut’s daughter Nanette will share her family’s story and struggle with mental health challenges. More info…
Harvard Law School 3rd Annual Read-Out
September 25 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT
Harvard Law School Library: front steps, 1545 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138 United States
Bring your lunch and join us on the steps of the HLS Library as members of the Harvard community read excerpts from our favorite banned books. We’ll be reading from classic literature, children’s picture books, and everything in between! More info…
Film Viewing: Good Morning, Vietnam
September 25 @ 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm PDT
Mt. San Antonio College Library, 1100 N. Grand Ave
Walnut, CA 91789 United States
In honor of Banned Books Week, Mt. SAC students voted to watch the film, Good Morning, Vietnam. Join us to watch the film and see how individuals deal with attempts to censor the news. More info…
Banned Books Out Loud
September 25 @ 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm EDT
Rochambeau Library, 708 Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906 United States
Library Staff will be reading aloud from Banned Books in the Children’s Library at the Rochambeau Library. Kids five and up may stop in to enjoy excerpts from Banned Books and color along! More info…
Books on the Chopping Block
September 25 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm CDT
Free Dramatic Readings by City Lit Theater Company of excerpts from the Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books in America, as compiled by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual freedom.
Today’s event:
Tuesday 9/25, 4:30PM – Edgewater Branch
6000 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL
More info…
Intellectual Freedom Panel
September 25 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm CDT
Kingsville Public Library, 6006 Academy Street
Kingsville, OH 44048 United States
Join us September 25th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in the Simak Welcome Center to engage with our community panel members as we discuss the importance of your right to read! Esteemed panel members for the evening will be: KSUA Library Sciences Professor Amy Thomas, LEADERship Ashtabula County Director Laura Jones, State Representative and former Teacher Dr. John Patterson, KSUA Adjunct Professor of Justice Studies Dr. Richard Dana, and retired Geneva Area City Schools Superintendent,Mary Zappitelli. More info…
Banned Books Jeopardy
September 25 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm EDT
Ezra Lehman Memorial Library, 1871 Old Main
Shippenburg, PA 17257 United States
We’ll take banned books for $1000, Alex. More info…
Banned Books Week Discussion: The Freedom to Read
September 25 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm PDT
Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street
Lake Oswego, OR 97034 United States
Our local school librarian will lead a discussion, co-facilitated with students from the two local high schools, of the freedom to read and ways it is threatened. The audience will discuss books that have been challenged or banned in recent years, with a focus on the ALA’s top 10 most challenged books of 2017. Why were these books challenged, and what are the best ways to respond to those challenges. Each of the high-school students will also talk about her or his favorite banned or challenged book. More info…
Banned Books Week kicks off on Sunday, but events celebrating the right to read are already underway! Are you still looking for something to do to honor challenged and banned books? We have a few ideas to get you started…
First, be sure to visit the Banned Books Week event page at https://bannedbooksweek.org/events/, where you can find events happening all over the world! If you’re hosting an event, let us know about it by completeing this form — we’ll add it to the map!
Don’t forget to tag @BannedBooksWeek and #BannedBooksWeek on Twitter and Facebook when you share your Banned Books Week adventures!
The members of the Banned Books Week Coalition have a number of events planned for the annual celebration of the right read! Show your support for their efforts defending the right to read by attending any of these great events, including the Dear Banned Author Letter Writing Campaign, Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret, the Speaking Out: Voicing Movements in the Face of Censorship webinar, and much more! View Coalition events here: https://bannedbooksweek.org/banned-books-week-coalition-events-calendar/
We will keep this calendar updated as more events are confirmed, so please check back!
September 21-22 Events Spotlight
Let’s take a look at some of the events warming things up for Banned Books Week 2018…
4th Annual WCC Banned Books Week Virtual Readout
September 21 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm HST • Kaneohe, HI
Help us celebrate Banned Books Week by bringing a banned book to read! More info…
To Kill a Mockingbird: Live Performance Featuring Mary Badham
September 21 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDT
The Phantom Players and Director Tracey Frame are excited to bring Oscar-nominated actress Mary Badham to Richmond for an unprecedented theatrical performance of Harper Lee’s classic American novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, as adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel. This limited time engagement will run for three shows only, September 21-23, at the Lynn Theater on the Midlothian Campus of John Tyler Community College.
The 1962 movie starred Gregory Peck, who won the Oscar for Best Actor, and introduced audiences to a young actress named Mary Badham, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress; at the time, she was the youngest performer to be so honored. In a rare moment of life imitating art, Mary Badham will not be reprising her role as Scout, but evolving into Jean Louise Finch–the adult version of the same character she played as a child–who serves as the show’s narrator. This once-in-a-lifetime event will not be performed anywhere else and is likely to sell out quickly. More info…
Banned Books Trading Cards Exhibit Opening
September 21 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EDT
Chapel Hill Public Library’s popular Banned Books Trading Cards are back for the sixth year. You’re invited to get a sneak peek at the winning submissions, meet the artists, and celebrate the opening of the exhibit in the library’s lobby. Original works from local artists will be on display. All pieces were inspired by books and authors that have been banned or challenged. There will be refreshments, a silent auction of the seven winning pieces of original artwork, and complete sets of this year’s cards. This year’s winning entries will also be prominently featured and larger than life on a Chapel Hill Transit bus. Come see it for yourself the night of the party and keep an eye out for it around town all year. More info…
Amaze Your Friends! Horrify Your Parents!! READ A BANNED GRAPHIC NOVEL!!!
September 22 @ 9:30 am – 11:00 am CDT
Comic books and censorship have a shared history most famously dating back to the 1950s, but there is still cause for concern today. As comics and graphic novels increasingly appear on the shelves of local libraries and schools (and increasingly appeal to a more sophisticated audience), they are increasingly vulnerable to having their content challenged. Then as now, the issue is whether the viewpoints of the few should dictate what the many may read and enjoy.
As a precursor to “Banned Books Week” (beginning Sunday 9/23 through Saturday 9/29), join the True Believers Graphic Novel Book Club on Saturday, September 22, as we celebrate the freedom to read by discussing a selection of “banned” graphic novels that have been challenged for content in recent years. Our “Banned Books” panel discussion will take place with a live audience at the Galaxy Comic and Fantasy Art Expo in Joliet, Illinois! More info…
Kimberly Butler’s “CENSORED” Photo Exhibition Kicks off “Banned Books Week”
September 22 @ 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm EDT • New York City, NY
“CENSORED” features 21 provocative photos from Kimberly Butler’s forthcoming book of the same name. The photos she chose for this unique exhibition illustrate that “banning books silences stories” — the theme of this year’s “Banned Books Week” event — and that everyone needs to speak out against censorship. Butler’s “CENSORED” photos are “a personification of books that have all been banned at one time or another,” she explains, “with quotes from the books emblazoned across each person’s body.” More info…
Harry Potter Themed Banned Book Party
September 22 @ 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm CDT • Williston, ND
Come enjoy a day at Hogwarts to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter, while kicking off National Banned Books Week! We will have information on all your favorite Banned Books, as well as some real Hogwarts classes for kids and kids at heart. More info…
