The Overview podcast: why are more books being banned?
Hundreds of titles are disappearing from library shelves and syllabuses as the US culture wars escalate

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In each episode of The Overview, we'll examine one story from the headlines, looking back through history to explain how we got to the current situation – and predicting what will happen next.
With contributions from The Week’s writers and insights from leading specialists in our topics, The Overview is a concise exploration of the debates and questions shaping the news agenda of today and the future.
In this week's episode:
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The history of banning books reaches back thousands of years, but censorship is now being used increasingly as a political and cultural weapon, with more and more books disappearing from library shelves and syllabuses.
Amid a rising tide of challenges to literature tackling themes such as LGBTQ+ issues, what could the future hold for books, readers and authors? This is The Overview.
Presented by Julia O'Driscoll with The Week's Leaf Arbuthnot and guests Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, and Daniel Gorman, director of human rights organisation English PEN.
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