Writes Rachel Harrison, Assistant Librarian
Our latest Book Boffz session coincided with Banned Books Week (4th–10th October), an annual event highlighting attempts to restrict access to books and celebrating the freedom to read.
The Book Boffz were surprised to discover that very familiar titles such as Charlotte’s Web, The Hunger Games and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone have all faced challenges or bans, particularly in the United States. The idea that books they have read, enjoyed and can borrow from our own school library might be considered unsuitable elsewhere made them look at familiar titles in a new light.
We explored why books might be challenged, and the distinction between challenging a book and actually banning it. We also looked at the idea of bowdlerising literature: editing a text to remove anything considered offensive or inappropriate. The term comes from Thomas Bowdler, whose nineteenth-century editions of Shakespeare’s works removed material he considered unsuitable for family reading. This is not just a historical issue though as some of Roald Dahl’s books were edited in recent editions to change language considered offensive, sparking debate about whether books should be altered for modern readers.
The Book Boffz then put the idea of bowdlerising into practice by looking at how passages from books might be edited to make them completely inoffensive to anyone, and what might be lost in the process. This encouraged them to think about how altering a text can affect its meaning and richness, as well as who gets to decide what other people should be allowed to read.
Above all, it was a reminder that a book one person considers inappropriate may be another reader’s favourite, and that even the most familiar stories can have surprising histories.
Book Boffz meets every Friday after school, and it has been lovely to welcome new members this term. Any Thirds or Upper Thirds who enjoy books, book-related activities and biscuits are very welcome to come along and join us!
