Read more on Banned Books Week UK
Banned: school librarians shushed over LGBT+ books
A special investigation by Index on Censorship revealed more than half of UK school librarians surveyed by Index have been asked to remove books from their shelves.
Banned Books Week gives us a chance to reflect on censorship
Words matter, because what we do matters. But words don’t act alone – they need publishing, platforming and, occasionally, defending. The Bookseller editor Philip Jones reflects on the importance of the campaign.
Intimidating behaviour towards bookshop owners on the rise
More than half of bookshop owners responding to a survey by the Booksellers Association say they have noticed an increase in intimidating behaviour towards themselves or their staff.
Banned Books Week UK
Banned Books Week UK is an annual celebration of the right to read freely in the UK and beyond. At a time where books are being increasingly challenged, taken off shelves or targeted due to the ideas they hold, Banned Books Week UK brings literature lovers together to celebrate the freedom to read.
The annual event encourages everyone to take part – from readers and writers to libraries, schools and bookshops.
The next Banned Books Week UK will be held 4-10 October 2026.
Want to get involved?
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Host an event.
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Create a display.
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Read a banned book with your book club.
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Share a reading list.
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Start a conversation.
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Or simply read a book that has been challenged or banned.
Contact us to get started.
About Banned Books Week UK
Index on Censorship is the UK partner for the USA Coalition, which runs Banned Books Week. The celebration was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores and schools. You can read more about Banned Books Week here.
Banned Books Week UK is led by Index on Censorship as a parallel campaign to Banned Books Week in the USA. After taking a hiatus, Banned Books Week UK relaunched in 2025, following increasing reports of book censorship in the country. Thirteen prominent writers including Juno Dawson, Ariel Dorfman and Simon James Green participated in the campaign and fifteen bookshops and libraries took part from all over the UK – from Derry to Newcastle, Bristol to Edinburgh. This year, we want to go even bigger.
The Banned Books Week UK coalition includes Index on Censorship, Hay Festival Global, The Bookseller and the International Publishers Association.
2025 Highlights
Renowned writers such as Juno Dawson added their voice to the campaign.
Bookshops and libraries including The Edinburgh Bookshop pictured above created banned book displays throughout the week.
We celebrated the reading of banned authors from around the world.
Get involved
The next Banned Books Week UK will be held 4-10 October 2026. Get involved!