(NEW YORK)— PEN America will join libraries, readers and writers nationwide on Saturday, 10/19, Freedom to Read Day of Action, to unite against book bans and demonstrate a shared commitment to the freedom to read and the joy of reading. The free expression organization will participate in events at public libraries in New York City, Brooklyn, Boston, and Washington, DC.
The day of action invites the public to learn more about the harms imposed on students and educators subjected to book bans and how to fight back. The event comes as PEN America’s latest figures reveal a stunning 10,000 instances of school bans over the full 2023-2024 school year. The dramatic increase released in September put Florida and Iowa at the head of the list of top states for censored books in schools.
Kasey Meehan, program director, Freedom to Read at PEN America, said: “Wherever we track book bans, we see individuals and groups defending the right to read and advocating for student and community access to books. Saturday is an opportunity to come together nationwide to amplify the work we must do to fight book bans and educational censorship and defend our freedom to read, a pillar of our democracy.”
Later this month, PEN America will release its Index of Book Bans, a searchable database of banned books by state, school district, author and title, along with new information on the latest wave of K-12 public school book censorship. Targeted books range from biographies and history titles to young adult novels and picture books.
Scheduled Events:
In Washington, PEN America’s Kasey Meehan, will join expert panelists for a screening of the documentary Banned Together and discussion of book bans from 1-3 pm at Martin Luther King Memorial Library (central library).
At the New York and Brooklyn public libraries, PEN America will provide information on book bans and join special guests Sasha Velour, iconic New Yorker and winner of Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race; Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, authors of the classic children’s book And Tango Makes Three, Da’Taeveyon Daniels, a student activist; Lee Rowland, executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship, and Eric Klinenberg, author of 2020: One City, Seven People, the Year that Changed Everything, and Palaces for the People, along with performances by the Resistance Revival Chorus. The event in Brooklyn from 10 am to 2 pm will include a rally at Central Library’s Grand Army Plaza location. The New York Public Library also will have a rally from noon to 2pm.
In Boston, attendees will hear from Sabrina Baeta, PEN America’s Freedom to Read program manager, at an event that will include the ACLU of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Center for the Book, Caroline Burke, former Boston Public Library Teen Central patron and current college student, and the-right-to-read advocate and author of Pedro & Daniel, Federico Erebia. The event is 10-11:30 a.m. at Copley Square central library.
The day of action is intended to draw attention to book censorship and engage the public on ways they can fight back. More than 100 events in 35 states are planned to highlight the role libraries play within their communities. The day of action is also intended to celebrate the joy of reading and free access to books in public and school libraries.
Since 2021, PEN America has been at the forefront of documenting and defending against the unprecedented rise of school book bans as well as the spread of educational censorship.
About PEN America
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. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057