Book Banning Two

Summary

Since the inception of book printing capabilities, church and civil governing authorities have sought to restrict and diminish the dissemination of ideas and information. This takes the form of book banning, a form of censorship in which written texts are challenged and removed from public access. However, book banning is not the only form of printing censorship. Similar restrictions can be placed onto the industry itself. These take the form of regional taxation (which forces printers to move or pay higher fees), taxes on books (which restricts access of news and texts to lower class citizens), and legal prosecution of the author/publisher for violating local law. More extreme forms of book banning include violence against readers, writers, and publishers, book burning, and executions for possessing, writing, or printing forbidden materials. Book banning now has changed quite a bit, as it has localized itself in classrooms and libraries, where parents lobby to have books they deem harmful removed from shelves. Still, it remains a relevant issue, as it effects not just authors and their work, but also publishers and their livelihoods, and it deprives the public of the resources they need to stay informed. Numerous anti-book banning organizations have formed to combat the steady rise of book banning and challenges. It is important to actively contribute to these efforts by supporting banned authors and speaking out against censorship.

History of Book Banning

The Gutenberg Bible

The theme of book banning has remained relatively consistent throughout history. Its intention is to restrict access to ideas. The factors that change over time are the motivations behind book banning and the form of its implementation. Book banning is largely controlled and moderated by governing bodies which have the capacity to create and enforce book banning laws. Since the inception of large-scale publishing capabilities, originating from the invention of the Gutenberg Press and the subsequent printing/dissemination of the Gutenberg Bible, censorship emerged as a response to hightened circulation of information. Church and civil authorities across Europe became very concerned about the efficiency with which ideas, especially those deemed heretical or unorthodox, could reach a large number of people. This occurred during a very divided time in Europe, both religiously and governmentally. During the rise of Protestantism, the Roman Catholic Church quickly became infamous for its strict censorship practices. In 1612, a law was implemented in France that required all books be approved by the royal authority (which was inherently also church authority) before they could be printed, and in 1635 the punishment of death was enforced upon those that attempted to print books without permission. Additionally, King Loius XIV declared that all publishing apprentices must be both naturally born French and Roman Catholic.

A common factor that drove civil and church authorities in Europe to adopt censorship practices was a fear of foreigners and alien ideas. In 1534 it became illegal to purchase books from foreign authors, publishers, or sources. This principle holds true across the centuries. Frequently, governing officials feel the need to shield their public from ideas that they consider harmful either to the minds of their subjects or to the stability of their own rule. The reason that simpler censorship practices such as higher taxation and trade restrictions frequently escalate into violent forms of censorship, such as book burning and executions, is because book banning as a whole is largely driven by fear. This is why, today, the push for book censorship largely originates from disgruntled parents who are afraid of their children being exposed to ideas they find harmful to their development or to the type of mindscape they attempt to cultivate within their children. While the interface of book banning is now mostly parents versus public/school libraries, there are still echoes of old conflicts between church/civil authority and the realm of free publishing.

Data/Statistics

• According to the American Library Association, "pressure groups and government entities that include elected officials, board members, and administrators initiated 72% of demands to censor books in school and public libraries."
•        (16% parents, 12% "other")​
• In 2024 ALA tracked:​
•        821 attempts to censor library materials​
•        2,452 unique titles targeted for censorship

Artists Impacted

What artists work on a book?

Many artists have to work on a singular book in order for it to get published. First, and author has to write the book. An author, by definition, is a writer of a literary work. Then, once the book is approved for publishing, it gets worked on again by many other editors and contributors. An illustrator is a person who draws/creates images for books. An illustrator for a novel is responsible for the cover of the book and will possibly illustrate images inside the books for younger audiences. Translators also work on books. Translators change the language of one book to another. For example, Fredrik Backman's books are based in Sweden, therefore he needs translator to translate his books from Swedish to English for English-reading audiences.

How are artists affected?

Not only are authors affected by book bans, but other artists such as illustrators and translators are also affected. When a book gets banned, the author's creative liberty gets restricted as well. Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, book bans affected the works of almost 2,600 artists, including 2,308 authors, 243 illustrators and 38 translators. The majority of authors who are targeted often have themes of race/racism, gender identity and sexuality/sex. Due to this, minority authors who write about these sorts of topics get their messages restricted more than others.

As an example, Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner describes his experiences and thought on book banning. He describes that his book has been banned or challenged since 2008 due to topics of sexual violence and promotion of Islam/terrorism. Khaled said that while book banning hasn't benefited or hurt his success, he does realize that the groups who ban his books are intolerant of diversity. This is a loss for the students, who see it as their worldview being narrowed. Though Khaled's book was banned, he talks about how he got 20 years' worth of letters saying how The Kite Runner encouraged students to stop bullying, defy intolerance, volunteer, and look more into Afghanistan culture.

Views on Book Banning

Book Banning positively affects authors

Although typically uncommon, book bans can sometimes be good for an author. When an individual or group tries to stop a book from being read, it can cause more people to want to read it. It sometimes is the best free advertising an author can receive. Millions of people hear about the book who never knew it existed before and some may want to stand up for the authors' freedom to tell their story. This can lead to an increase in sales.

Beyond this quick money boost, the authors career path can change dramatically. They are no longer just a writer, but become a public figure and spokesperson for intellectual freedom. This new status leads to highly paid speaking engagements at universities and festivals. Publishers who see that an author can dangle controversy and draw a crowd become eager to work with them and often offer large advances for their next book. The attempt to silence the author often backfires completely, making them more famous, more successful, and gives them a bigger and more powerful voice.

Book Banning negatively affects authors

Book Bans are incredibly unfair and damaging to authors. When certain groups manage to get an author's book pulled off library and classroom shelves, it causes trouble that goes far beyond just one book. These bans are a huge problem for their paychecks. Most authors do not make a lot of money and depend on every single book they produce and fees from visits they make to schools and libraries. When their book is banned, sales drop, and school visits get canceled immediately. This causes the authors to lose their income and sometimes struggle to make a living.

Additionally, bans can make it harder for authors to write more books. A ban sends a message to publishers that this author's work is too risky and potentially unmarketable. Publishers might worry about controversy and choose not to offer the author a new contract or a decent upfront payment. This forces the author to worry about self-censoring and potentially stop writing about important and diverse topics. Also, banning can be a serious blow to the authors' feelings and reputation. They spend years pouring their hearts into writing books and to have that work declared unsuitable or dangerous is deeply upsetting. It can often feel like public shaming that invalidates their voice and mission.

Solutions

What can authors do?

The number one way for authors to fight against book bans is coming together to speak up about it. One such organization called The Author's Guild advocates for the rights of professional writers to create, publish, and earn a sustainable living as fiction and nonfiction writers, poets, translators and journalists. They claim that book banning affects these rights and strive to stop book banning.

What can these groups do?

The logo for the organization "Authors Against Book Bans"

These advocacy groups can come together to challenge federal, state, and local attempts to censor or ban books. One way is through legal action. If a book is banned and it doesn't have the right to be banned, it will be challenged by organizations such as the The Author's Guild to allow that book to stay in schools, libraries, universities, etc. Another way is through advocacy. By speaking up against book banning, more people get informed and learn about the dangers of book banning. Therefore, when they see an injustice toward an author's rights, they can come together to back them up. Finally, organizations can coordinate with other organizations to increase the spread of the word of book banning. The Author's Guild and other organizations dedicated to publisher and author's rights can come together through one big organization, Authors Against Book Bans, to discuss and talk about book banning. Other groups such as PEN America, the Human Rights Campaign, and the American Library Association (ALA) are also a part of this huge organization.

What can YOU do?

While it seems that one person speaking out book banning can't change anything, that isn't true. If one person speaks out, then others will. One way to fight against book banning is to organize in your community. Gather a group of people who are also passionate about book banning and do things such as: speaking out at your local school board meeting, writing letters defending books to your local newspaper, sending a postcard/letter thanking a banned author for their work, share your story on social media, and report a local book ban to PEN America. Another way is to vote in your local elections. Even protesting at the lowest levels about book banning helps to protect student access to books. Through these answers, find out what candidate you believe will be the best for the freedom of speech in literature and vote! You can also write letters to state legislators telling them to end book bans to prevent the unnecessary removal of books. Another simple way to stop book banning is by checking out and reading books that are banned or going to an event with a banned author. This shows that you support banned books at even the smallest level. Lastly, you can join organization groups, such as PEN America to advocate for the freedom to write and celebrating the essential voices of literature.