These 176 Books Were Banned in Duval County, Florida
PEN America presented a joint letter with We Need Diverse Books and authors and illustrators of 176 books removed from classrooms in Duval County, Florida, in January 2022 for… More
Book Bans: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a book ban? How is a book ban different from a challenge? What is the history of book bans? We answer frequently asked questions about book bans. More
Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools
“More” is the operative word for this report on school book bans, which offers the first comprehensive look at bans throughout the 2021–22 school year. More
Banning of Non-English Dictionaries in Michigan Prisons Tramples on Fundamental Rights
"To punish a broad segment of the prison population is short-sighted, in addition to trampling on prisoners’ fundamental rights.” More
In a Moment of Dire Threat to Free Expression, PEN America Literary Gala Celebrates Writers, Visionaries, and Truth-Tellers
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said: “In unimaginable times, we need the imagination, and specifically authors’ imaginations as manifest in the written word, to force us to reckon with… More
Statement: Publisher’s Decision to Pull “Bad and Boujee” Book is “Misguided and Regrettable”
"When debates over books and authors have a racial dimension, they can get heated quickly because they tap into long histories of exclusion and marginalization of people of color… More
Suspending Access to Library App Epic! Disregards Students First Amendment Rights, Says PEN America
Suspending access to 40,000 books without adherence to appropriate process, and with utter disregard for the First Amendment rights of the tens of thousands of students impacted, is a… More
Report: 1,586 School Book Bans and Restrictions in 86 School Districts Across 26 States
Book bans have targeted 1,145 unique book titles by 874 different authors, 198 illustrators, and 9 translators, impacting the literary, scholarly, and creative work of 1,081 people altogether. Texas… More
Florida Bill Would Let Parents and Citizens Challenge Any Book Used in Schools
"HB 1467 has been touted as a measure to increase school transparency," said Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America's Free Expression and Education program, "but the real aim is… More
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Join us 6:30pm ET on Feb 9 for a FREE virtual event as two global stars of the book world, @MargaretAtwood and @neilhimself, chaired by @EricaWgnr, join forces to celebrate @SalmanRushdie’s literary genius and discuss his new novel #VictoryCity: https://pen.org/event/celebrating-salman-rushdies-victory-city/
The “Books Recently Banned in Duval County” displays at Chamblin’s Bookmine.
Are you a student between the ages of 15-23? Do you know one? Do you, or that student, have something interesting to say about free expression? Submit to our Free Expression Essay Competition by March 1 for a chance to win up to $2,000! https://pen.org/free-expression-advocacy-institutes/free-expression-essay-competition/ #WritingContest