Freedom to Read Week 2025: On the enduring importance of standing up against attempts to suppress books
As we are witnessing on a global scale, it is all too easy to lose the essential freedoms we in a democratic society take for granted.
The sounds of silencing: In a new polemic, Ira Wells argues that censors are active on both the left and right
Moral certitude makes for strange bedfellows.
Shouting “fire” in a crowded theatre: University of Winnipeg professor Peter Ives re-examines core principles in his new book, Rethinking Free Speech
Ives distinguishes between the absolutism of Immanuel Kant and the more pragmatic views of John Stuart Mill.
Recent legal decision around “Bling Bling” rapper only the latest attempt to criminalize rap lyrics in America
If the First Amendment provides protection for every artistic endeavour except rap music, it then becomes impossible not to see this Constitutional provision as a racist instrument.
Recent incidents at Queen Books and Little Ghosts in Toronto shine a spotlight on the incursion of American-style transphobia into Canada
Public support for booksellers who are outspoken about their advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals and communities seems strong.
Salman Rushdie’s terse memoir offers a highly personal reckoning with the public attack that almost claimed his life
"Art is not a luxury. It stands at the essence of our humanity, and it asks for no special protection except the right to exist."
PEN America’s survey of two years’ worth of data finds book bans at schools and libraries increasing rapidly
American-style book bans are not unheard of in Canada.
Prize ceremony for author Masha Gessen postponed due to controversy over comments in magazine article
Gessen is not the only public figure to come in from opprobrium as a result of comments on the ongoing conflict deemed controversial.
Singer Pink is giving away thousands of banned books at four concerts in Florida
Pink says that books "have held a special joy" since her childhood.
Controversy hits Frankfurt Book Fair as award for Palestinian author postponed in the wake of Hamas attack on Israel
Shibli's novel is not without controversy itself.