If you wander into your local bookstore or library within the next week, it’s likely you will see a shrine of sorts to banned books. Those who ban books work to lock up particular controversial writing from readers, but an equally as strong and passionate force works to keep these books freely available. Enter: Banned Books Week.
Banned Books Week is held during the last week of September in order to bring light to banned and challenged books. This week serves to celebrate the freedom to read what you want and to continue in a forceful march to keep writing available to all of the public. So, from September 26 to October 3, there will be efforts all over the country to bring banned books to the forefront–to showcase them as worthy, safe, and accessible works.
Internet Archive offers a collection of banned books in this collection to get you ready for the week. Some of the most famous banned books are highlighted below:
The Fairy Tales of Brothers Grimm
The Jungle
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
O Pioneers!
Black Beauty
The War of the Worlds
Read through these classics and crack your Ginsberg, Rowling, Nabakov, or Steinbeck this week. Celebrate your freedom to read, because unfortunately some of our best writers have been sanctioned to book prison.
–Cara Binder
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Huckup said
One for me very curious list of banned books on the Brothers Grimm is one example for me even as a child to the standart readings are only fairy-nich, it has hurt me. I would like to know where and who has banned these tags?
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janes Onu said
I though I should see “The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie in the list of your most famous banned books. What do you think?
John said
My guess is that the most banned book in history, in terms of the numbers of people refused access, is the Bible. Any stats on this?
Tim said
I would say if it isnt the most banned book it is quickly rising to the top of the list!! Especially now days it is looked upon as if it were the satanic bible.