Banned Books Week launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of book challenges in libraries, schools, and bookstores. The American Library Association and Banned Books Week Coalition announced the theme for Banned Books Week 2025: “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights.”
With the escalation in attempts to ban books in libraries, schools, and bookstores around the country, George Orwell’s cautionary tale "1984" serves a prescient warning about the dangers of censorship. This year’s theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights.
“The 2025 theme of Banned Books Week serves as a reminder that censorship efforts persist to this day,” ALA President Cindy Hohl said. “We must always come together to stand up for the right to read.”
- American Library Association
Maia Kobabe's graphic memoir, "Gender Queer," became the most banned book in the country in 2021. Challenges to books in libraries and schools have soared in the US, and the consequences have become more serious, with some communities shuttering or defunding libraries over book bans and book challenges.