Authors Guild Launches Banned Books Club
The Authors Guild
Join the free Authors Guild Banned Books Club!
The Authors Guild created this club in response to the alarming number of states and school boards which have recently banned a wide number of books and other resources from school curriculums or libraries. The club’s goal is to give both students and adults the opportunity to read and learn more about the books being banned in their districts and elsewhere. The Authors Guild hopes this will spark discussions across the country about the value of a diverse body of literature and the harm book banning causes by “erasing” the unique experiences and perspectives of marginalized voices.David Levithan leads the first discussion
Each month, the Authors Guild Banned Books Club will present a different book of fiction or nonfiction recently banned at schools in the United States. Interested readers can log on to Fable any time during that month to access the moderated book discussion, which includes valuable resources to help them get the most out of the reading experience. The Banned Books Club will open with “Two Boys Kissing” by David Levithan, a children’s book editor and the author of many books for young adults, including “Boy Meets Boy,” “Love Is the Higher Law,” and “Every Day.” Discover more about David Levithan books on Fable.One Texas legislator added “Two Boys Kissing” to a list proposing to ban 850 books in public schools. Sadly, 62 percent of the books on that list feature LBGTQIA+ characters or discuss sexual orientation or gender identity issues.“Efforts like these are trying to erase LBGTQIA+ people, our voices, our history, our existence, and the words used to describe us positively,” said Levithan, who will lead the inaugural discussion in the Authors Guild Banned Books Club, helping readers understand the story and find their own meaning in it. Along the way, he’ll share links to music, videos, art, and other resources, highlighting ways readers can help fight book banning in their communities.“Like the Authors Guild, we have been deeply concerned by the recent surge in book banning,” said Padmasree Warrior, founder and CEO of Fable. “Reading is healthy not just on an individual level—it’s healthy on a societal level, too. The Authors Guild’s Banned Books Club is the perfect use case for Fable’s unique social reading experience, and we’re thrilled to partner with them on this important mission.”In addition to the banned book club, the Authors Guild recently developed a Stop Book Bans Toolkit, which provides Guild members and others interested in combating book banning with templates and details on how to contact their local school board, state lawmakers or submit a letter to the editor to their local newspaper or radio station.A critical moment
Since January 2021, citing objections to the often misunderstood “critical race theory,” 41 states have introduced bills or taken other steps to restrict the teaching of certain concepts or books relating to race, sexual identity, or social injustice in general. Fourteen states have imposed these bans and restrictions either through legislation or other avenues. But even in states that have no plans to enact such legislation, activists groups are arming parents and other community members with templates targeting school boards, training on how to disrupt school board meetings, and long lists of books that they demand be removed from school curriculums or libraries. According to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, the number of school boards being asked in 2021 to ban certain books and concepts is unprecedented.They recently released a list of the Most Challenged Books of 2021, which included these important books. type: embedded-entry-inline id: ago1az5IUduWO8zxMkCJbYou can keep reading more about banned books on Fable.The Authors Guild Banned Books Club was made possible by a generous grant from Hachette. Since its founding in 1912, the Authors Guild has opposed censorship in any form, including book banning, as it undermines democracy by suppressing free speech and expression, hinders creativity and innovation, and makes it harder for authors to earn a living. With over 12,000 members, the Authors Guild is the nation’s oldest and largest professional organization for published writers.Join the free Authors Guild Banned Books Club!
The Authors Guild