Stephen King has given a blunt three-word response after discovering that 23 of his novels have been banned from school libraries in Florida. The author’s reaction came after it was revealed that a 2022 legislation signed by Governor Ron DeSantis targeted books with sexually explicit material, following complaints from conservative group Moms for Liberty.
The law, which took effect in July 2023, has seen classic novels such as Brave New World and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer removed from elementary, middle, and high school libraries. Even non-fiction books like Anne Frank’s Diary have been banned.
Among the King novels affected are Carrie, It, The Gunslinger, The Running Man, and The Long Walk. In response to learning about the bans, King wrote: “Florida has banned 23 of my books. What the f***?”
Six major book publishers – Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, and Sourcebooks – have teamed up to challenge the law’s “sweeping book removal provisions.”
The publishers highlighted the potential abuses of the law, stating that it requires school librarians to remove books containing anything that can be construed as “sexual conduct” without considering their educational value. They also expressed concerns about the lack of a reasonable review timeframe and the potential for costly special magistrate reviews.
Florida Department of Education spokesperson Sydney Booker has pushed back on the publisher’s lawsuit, calling it a “stunt” and stating that there are no books banned in Florida. Booker added that “sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools.”
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/stephen-king-banned-books-florida-b2606624.html