Fight Back Against Book Bans with P!nk and PEN America

Fight Back Against Book Bans with P!nk and PEN America

A photo of Pink, the iconic singer, is on the left, set against banned book covers. Bold red text reads, “FIGHT BOOK BANS WITH P!NK AND PEN AMERICA.”.

PEN America teamed up with critically acclaimed singer-songwriter and global pop icon P!nk to give away 2,000 banned books at her concerts in Florida last fall to draw attention to the book banning crisis across the country.

According to PEN America’s latest report, Banned in the USA: Narrating the Crisis, book bans are a nationwide issue. Over the last two and half academic years, PEN America has recorded banning activity in 42 states, across red and blue districts.

A graphic stating 4,349—the instances of book bans that PEN America recorded in fall 2023—features the PEN America logo in the top right corner, a note about the data source at the bottom, and a subtle pink singer motif.

The report highlights how the bans are speeding up. There were over 4,000 instances of book bans in the first half of the 2023-24 school year—more than all of last school year as a whole. This is a marked increase in comparison to the last spring semester, in which PEN America recorded 1,841 book bans.

PEN America is the leading organization fighting book bans, protecting the freedom to read, and ensuring that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, convey information and ideas, and express their views. Please join us today.


Shop PEN America

Get P!nk’s “I read banned books” sweater or wear original designs by banned authors to show your support for the freedom to read.

Person wearing a dark gray sweater with the words i read banned books embroidered in pink cursive letters on the front, making a bold statement against book bans.

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