Seven Indies to Host “A Night of Silenced Voices”

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Banned Book Week logoAmong the hundreds of independent booksellers hosting events for the September 25–October 1 celebration of Banned Books Week are seven stores that will participate in “A Night of Silenced Voices.” The events on Tuesday, September 27, will celebrate diversity and honor freedom of expression.

“Independent bookstores have always been strong supporters of Banned Books Week, and more than 500 will mount displays of banned and challenged titles this year.  But this is the first time we have coordinated events on the same night” said Chris Finan, director of American Booksellers for Free Expression.

Stores hosting events for “A Night of Silenced Voices” are:

A full list of events taking place across the country throughout the week is available on the online calendar at bannedbooksweek.org/events.

This year’s Banned Books Week events will highlight challenges to books written by authors of diverse backgrounds and explore why their books are disproportionately singled out for attack.

The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom estimates that of the hundreds of books that are banned or challenged in schools and libraries each year more than half are written by authors of color, members of the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. A list of the 10 most frequently challenged books in 2015 is available on the ALA website.

Through October 1, stores can still take advantage of an additional discount on orders of 25 or more books chosen from a list of more than 450 banned or challenged titles on iPage®, Ingram’s search and order content platform. For more information about the promotion, booksellers should contact their Ingram sales representative; call Ingram Customer Care at (800) 937-8200; or e-mail [email protected].

Booksellers are encouraged to share photos of their Banned Book Week events and displays on social media using the official Banned Books Week hashtag #BannedBooksWeek. More information about sharing your store’s Banned Book Week celebrations via social media is available here.