Organised, coordinated challenges to ban inclusive children’s books are escalating globally, as illiberal and far right campaigners attempt to erase historically marginalised voices from children's literature in schools, libraries and bookshops. This panel discusses recent cases across Europe and North America, considers the professional and emotional toll censorship campaigns exact on publishers, writers and illustrators, and asks what the children's publishing community can do to prepare, resist and stand in solidarity.

AGENDA

• Introductions
• Zoom in on specific recent cases - in the UK, Latvia, Canada - what’s targeted, how they start, escalate, capture media attention, lead to political implications
• Discuss the practical and emotional implications, the toll that incidents and campaigns take - how publishing professionals cope, manage, firefight; how writers and illustrators process bans, insults, threats of violence etc
• The case for solidarity across children's publishing nationally / internationally - what support structures are and aren't there, what needs to be put in place to support both creators and publishers on the frontline

Followed by reception