Anti-Censorship Initiative Attracts Support from Salman Rushdie and Cheryl Strayed

Salman Rushdie, Cheryl Strayed, Carl Hiassen, and Ibram X. Kendi are among the hundreds of authors who have endorsed the announcement made by the American Library Association and the Association of American Publishers. This announcement highlights the 70th anniversary of the Freedom to Read Statement that was issued by book publishers and librarians during the McCarthy era.

With an alarming increase in book bannings across the country in the last two years, the library and publishing associations are urging all members of the book community to reaffirm their commitment to the June 1953 declaration. This declaration emphasizes the importance of making a wide range of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority, available to the public.

In the Sunday press announcement, it is stated, “Today, as we face a new wave of censorship targeting various forms of expression, including fiction and nonfiction, the Freedom to Read Statement remains a crucial defense of the freedom to write, publish, and inquire.”

Prominent supporters of this initiative include Jennifer Egan, Ron Chernow, and Jodi Picoult, as well as organizations like Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, the Authors Guild, and the American Booksellers Association.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)