Judy BloomTwenty-four prominent authors, including James Patterson and Michael Connelly, have raised more than $3 million to help PEN America open an office in Miami and expand its efforts to combat the surge in banned books in Florida in recent years.
“What PEN America is doing in Florida is important to us and our neighbors,” Connelly, who spent part of his childhood in Florida, said in a statement released by PEN America on Wednesday. “We are astonished to see books being snatched from the shelves and students being forced into a fight they did not ask for or deserve. All of us, especially those who make a living in the literary world, are called to defend books Bans and legislation that silences new voices.”
Other contributors include Amanda Gorman, Nora Roberts, David Baldacci, Nikki Grimes, Susan Collins and Todd Parr.The announcement was made in Banned Books Week, Schools and libraries highlight works that have been challenged or removed, following last month’s report from PEN and the American Library Association on censorship in schools and libraries.
“It is encouraging to see some of America’s most popular and beloved writers at the forefront of the fight against book bans. They are writers, not politicians or activists,” said Suzanne Northey, CEO of PEN International Er said in the statement. “While the scope of the Book Banner movement is national, Florida has become a laboratory for censorship laws and intimidation of teachers and librarians. It is extraordinary to witness a group of our nation’s most beloved writers pick up a pen and draw a line in the sand . ”
The idea for a Miami office emerged from conversations among PEN officials, including board member Michael Pietsch, CEO of Hachette Book Group, Connery’s publisher.
In a phone interview, Connelly told The Associated Press that supporting the PEN initiative was an easy decision, an “all-in decision” and pledged $1 million. He cited not just free-speech reasons but also personal feelings about the library, where he would cool off on sweltering summer days in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A librarian introduced him to a life-changing novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a book that was often the target of censorship.
“If I hadn’t read that book, I wouldn’t have written a book like ‘The Lincoln Lawyer,'” Connery said of his best-selling crime novels, which have now been adapted into Netflix series.
according to PEN Research Data released in September showed that between July 1, 2022 and June 31, 2023, more than 3,300 incidents of book bans occurred in U.S. public school classrooms and libraries, an increase of 33% from the previous school year. More than 40% of the bans occurred in Florida. at the same time, American Library Association documents 695 challenges In the first eight months of 2023, library materials and services have grown at the fastest pace since the association began tracking the challenge 20 years ago.
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