This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Today marks the final day of this year’s Banned Books Week – The American Library Association’s annual event to promote the freedom to read. The celebration doesn’t have to end here, however; we can continue fighting the good fight against censorship year-round by wearing or displaying items inspired by banned literature. As an added bonus, all of the goodies we’ve chosen are based on banned works by women. Go forth and rejoice in your right to read, book nerds (and look really awesome at the same time).
1. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936) was critically praised and won the Pulitzer Prize for its thought-provoking and realistic depiction of antebellum life in America’s Deep South. When its realism came under fire, however, it was banned. This beautifully designed poster includes famous quotes from the book and film within an iconic Scarlett O’Hara dress silhouette. We want this so hard. £11 from Etsy.
2. 50 banned books are named on the redacted text tote bag from Out of Print including Blubber by Judy Blume, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling and Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Even better, for every bag purchased, one book is sent to a community in need. £11 from Out of Print Clothing.
3. Harper Lee’s classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, was first published in 1960 to instant critical acclaim. Despite this, the novel has been challenged and banned consistently and remains a source of controversy to this day. We love this repurposed To Kill a Mockingbird bag, which is £40 from Novel Creations.
4. You might be surprised to learn that even modern blockbuster The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is frequently challenged, with reasons cited including anti-ethnic, anti-family, insensitivity, offensive language, occult references and violence. You can show your support for Katniss and co with this workout tank, which is £17 from Human.
5. Judy Blume has been challenged time and time again for her honest and relatable storytelling, which is a sad thing indeed. For adolescent us, her books were almost a rite of passage and dealt with everything from sex and menstruation to divorce and bullying in a kindly but candid way. She was the cool family friend to our awkward teenage woes and the agony aunt to the questions we daren’t ask anyone else. Why not celebrate all things Judy Blume by displaying her books on your shelves? Not only will it give you the opportunity to bask in the nostalgia, but they will be there, ready and waiting, for the teenagers in your life. £17 from Etsy.