"The most common theme in the banned non-fiction books was activism and social movements. These titles help students learn about their rights and the stories of those who confronted injustice and participated in social movements to change the world around them."
"This latest trend shows an embrace of anti-intellectualism, undermining public knowledge by devaluing education and expertise. It is another example of how censorship sweeps broadly, leading to removals of all kinds of books, in its efforts to sow fear and distrust in our public education system."
"Findings also showed high figures for marginalised communities with LGBTQ+ characters (39%) and people of colour (44%) continuing to be over-represented in the books being targeted. Books about death and grief made up 48% of titles while those about empowerment and self-esteem made up 39%."
PEN America's analysis of 3,743 banned titles from July 2024 to June 2025 reveals a significant increase in non-fiction removals, with over 1,100 titles (29%) targeted compared to previous years. Activism and social movements emerged as the most common theme in banned non-fiction works. Books addressing LGBTQ+ issues, sex education, and marginalized communities faced disproportionate censorship, with 39% featuring LGBTQ+ characters and 44% featuring people of color. Notable banned titles include Night by Elie Wiesel, Challenges for LGBTQ+ Teens, and various sex education resources. Fiction bans included classics like Fahrenheit 451 and The Hunger Games. Experts characterize this trend as anti-intellectualism that undermines public education and sows distrust in schools. Since 2021, over 23,000 documented instances of book bans have been recorded.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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