With new figures revealing a stunning increase in school book bans during the 2023-2024 school year— over 10,000 instances nationwide— PEN America is mobilizing writers, readers and activists for Banned Books Week Sept. 22-29 to stand against censorship and support the freedom to read for all.
The writers and free expression organization, with partners nationwide, will host talks, readings, summits for young people, an art show, and other events over the week. Events will feature award-winning authors Rex Ogle, Elana K. Arnold, Abdi Nazemian, Kalynn Bayon, Ryan La Sala, journalists Kelly Jensen of Book Riot and Mike Hixenbough of NBC News, and Grammy-winning songwriter Joanie Leeds, who will perform songs in Coral Gables, Florida from her album FREADOM based on banned childrens’ books. In addition, conversations open to the public will be held with librarians, booksellers, educators, scholars on censorship, and literacy and literary advocates leading the fight against book bans. Events will be held in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Coral Gables, Florida, Austin and Dallas, Texas, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Farmington, Utah. Magic City Books, a Tulsa bookstore, will exhibit paper weavings created from shredded banned books by the artist and activist Ellis Angel in a show titled The Censor’s Cut: Weavings for Intellectual Freedom.
All scheduled events are listed here.
