International associations of authors, publishers, booksellers and libraries have warned of the growing movements to cancel and ban works and authors, which undermine democracy, calling for the defense of freedom of expression, publishing and reading.
Several associations, including the Portuguese Publishers and Booksellers Association (APEL), have issued a declaration on Freedom of Expression, Publication and Reading – which remains open to signatures from the sector – to be presented at various international events throughout the year, the first of which took place on Thursday, March 14, at the London Book Fair, it was announced today.
The joint declaration was launched by the International Authors Forum (IAF), PEN International, the International Publishers Association (IPA), the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), to tackle “growing efforts to restrict books and those who write, publish or make them available to readers”, they explain in a statement.
APEL, like the IPA and the EIBF, is also a signatory of this declaration which, “in this day and age, is extremely important”, says the association’s president, pointing out that “the lack of freedom of writing, publishing and reading erodes the foundations of democratic systems and the rule of law”.
“And those who believe that these rights are only at stake in totalitarian or authoritarian societies are mistaken. We have seen movements, often inorganic, calling for the cancellation and banning of books, writers, publishers and booksellers,” warns Pedro Sobral, president of APEL.
In his opinion, “never has this declaration been so important” and “never have publishers and booksellers together been so committed to protecting and enhancing the freedom to read, edit, publish and sell books”.
The signatory authors, publishers, booksellers and libraries say they are united by the role they play in defending freedom of expression, publishing and reading, which is fundamental for society to have “enlightened citizens who, based on knowledge and accurate information, make choices and participate in democratic progress”.
“True freedom to read means being able to choose from the widest range of books that share the widest range of ideas. Unrestricted communication is essential for a free society and a creative culture, but it carries with it the responsibility to resist hate speech, deliberate falsehoods and the distortion of facts,” reads the statement.
The text argues that authors must be guaranteed their freedom of expression, because it is through their work that societies are understood, empathy is generated and prejudices overcome, just as booksellers and librarians “must be free to present the full range of works, across the ideological spectrum, to everyone, without this freedom being restricted to them by governments or local authorities, individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes on the wider community”.
To this end, it is also necessary for publishers to be free to publish “works that they consider important, including those that are unconventional, unpopular or may even be considered offensive by some particular groups”.
“The risk of self-censorship due to social, political or economic pressures remains high, affecting all parts of the chain, from the writer to the reader. Society must create an environment for authors, publishers, booksellers and librarians to fulfill their missions freely,” highlights the declaration, which ends with an appeal “to governments and all other stakeholders to help protect, maintain and promote the three freedoms – of expression, of publishing and of reading – in law and in practice.”
Commenting on the statement, Karine Pansa, president of the IPA, defended the importance of the sector sticking together because it is interdependent, while Romana Cacchioli, executive director of PEN International underlined that “diverse voices can freely contribute to public discourse, fostering informed debates, critical thinking and civic engagement”.
Vicki McDonald, president of IFLA, recalled the role of libraries in promoting the freedom to read “also as a key driver of a world of informed and empowered people”, which can only happen with freedom of expression, creation and dissemination of new ideas.
Proud, as he says, to co-sign this “important and timely” declaration, EIBF co-president Jean-Luc Treutenaere said that “at a time when censorship is on the rise, the book industry must remain firm and united in its mission to provide access to all types of books for the ultimate benefit of readers”.
This initiative followed a statement issued on June 25, 2023 by American associations of booksellers, libraries, publishers and authors, in which they joined a republication of a 1953 joint statement on the Freedom to Read as part of the work to resist a wave of book bans in different parts of the US.
