Panel Discussion: ‘Books Under Siege: Navigating the Landscape of Banned Literature’

Join us on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for a rich and insightful conversation as our panelists — Adam Gidwitz, Melanie Heydari, Nick Higgins, and Susan Van Metre—examine the evolving landscape of book banning from multiple perspectives, both locally and globally. Moderated by Regan Penaluna, this event will shed light on the complex forces shaping access to literature in today’s world. RSVP here.

Key topics for discussion include:

• Global and Local Perspectives: What is the state of book banning today? How does it play out in different communities across the US, and in Brooklyn in particular? What are significant challenges and debates we should be aware of and what positions do you think we should advocate for at ISB?  

• The Power of Literature: How do books shape our understanding of the world, and what role do educators, librarians, and cultural institutions play in promoting access to diverse voices?  

• Lessons from History: How has censorship evolved over time, and what insights can we gain from past experiences in different cultural contexts?

• Inspiring Action: What are the creative and collaborative ways we can champion literary access, ensuring that books remain a bridge to understanding for future generations? What can we learn by comparing international approaches to censorship?

This panel invites you to reflect on the broader implications of book banning, leaving you inspired to think critically about the role of literature in fostering open dialogue and cultural exchange. Together, we’ll explore how we can contribute to a future where access to diverse stories and ideas remains a cornerstone of education and society.

This event is being held at The International School of Brookly, 192 Luquer St. in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn and is open to the public. A wine and cheese reception will follow the panel.

RSVP here as space is limited.

We hope you will join us.

Maria Falgoust, Jon French and The PA Library Committee

Panelists:

Adam Gidwitz is an award-winning author, producer, and storyteller for young people. He wrote the bestselling novel A Tale Dark & Grimm and its companions, adaptations of the darker and lesser known Grimm fairy tales. His medieval epic The Inquisitor’s Tale won the Newbery Honor. He also wrote a Star Wars novel, The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi and the bestselling Unicorn Rescue Society series. His newest book is the bestselling Max in the House of Spies, and it’s sequel, Max in the Land of Lies is due out in February 2025. Adam also created Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest, a podcast on which he tells real Grimm tales live to kids, and he produced the animated Netflix adaptation of his novel A Tale Dark & Grimm, which was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Series.

Mélanie Heydari: Currently a Lecturer in the Department of French and Comparative Literature at Barnard College, Columbia University, Mélanie Heydari received her PhD from the Sorbonne, Paris, in 2012. She teaches postcolonial literature, notably women’s contemporary literature from the Middle East, with a focus on Iranian literature. Her recent publications include a monograph titled Vikram Seth’s Poetics of Pastiche (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024), and a forthcoming book chapter (Routledge, 2025) on Iranian writer Shahrnush Parsipur, titled “‘A Cold Rage Penetrated Her Body’: The Transformative Power of Rage in Shahrnush Parsipur’s Women Without Men” (The Productivity of Negative Emotions in Postcolonial Literature. Eds. Donald R. Wehrs, Jean-François Vernay and Isabelle Wentworth). She serves as a board member of the Society for Comparative Literature and the Arts (SCLA), and of the Comparative Gender Studies Research Committee of the International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA).

Nick Higgins is the Chief Librarian of Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), leading the development of library services, collections, and spaces for Brooklynites at 62 libraries across the borough. Nick and his team were recently recognized as “Librarian of the Year” from Library Journal for their work on Books Unbanned, a freedom to read initiative that provides free access to BPL’s entire digital library collection for teens anywhere in the US facing book bans. bklynlibrary.org, booksunbanned.com

Susan Van Metre is the Executive Editorial Director of Walker Books US, a division of Candlewick Press. Previously she was at Abrams, where she founded the Amulet imprint and edited EL DEAFO by Cece Bell, the Origami Yoda series by Tom Angleberger, the Internet Girls series by Lauren Myracle, THEY SAY BLUE by Jillian Tamaki, and the Questioneers series by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Pete Fornatale, their daughter and the ghost of their Lab mix. @walkerbooksus @candlewickpress

MODERATOR

Regan Penaluna is a writer with a master’s degree in journalism and a PhD in philosophy. Previously, she was an editor at Nautilus Magazine and Guernica, where she wrote and edited long-form stories and interviews. A feature she wrote was listed in the Atlantic as one of “100 Exceptional Works of Journalism.” Her book How to Think Like a Woman is a Most Anticipated Book of the Year at Lithub and The Millions and a New York Times Editors’ Choice.