Oh hey, it's banned books week! I'm going to reread the often banned 1984 this week, seems appropriate.

War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.

#1984GeorgeOrwell #BannedBooksWeek

Oh hey, it's banned books week! I'm going to reread the often banned 1984 this week, seems appropriate.

War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.

#1984GeorgeOrwell #BannedBooksWeek

For #BannedBooksWeek we're doing a limited run of shirts with one of our favorite designs of all time! The "Trash Fascism, Not Books" possum was created by artist Des Revol for our 2023/24 campaign to send thousands of banned books back to Florida kids. Since then, we've had so many people reach out asking for the image on stickers and apparel.

We hope that these shirts will also help to raise awareness for Des, who is facing years in prison and possible deportation over allegedly transporting "subversive" literature in his car. The fact that zines exactly like those you can can find at Firestorm (and countless other radical bookstores) are being used as evidence of criminality is a reminder that fascism isn't just coming for your TBR pile—it's coming for us all, unless we trash it! http://freedes.net

We're only taking shirt orders through Bonfire until Saturday, October 18th, so check out the full details at https://www.bonfire.com/store/firestorm 🔥

#TrashFascismNotBooks #ZinesAreNotACrime #FreeDesRevol #FeministBookstore #FirestormCoop (- L)

BANNED BOOKS WEEK
5–11 October 2025

Tom Leonard’s 1984 poetry collection INTIMATE VOICES was banned in Scotland’s Central Region school libraries. The Education Committee said

“There are some harmful words in it … Sometimes the naked truth has to be clothed”

But Leonard had anticipated this sort of reaction…

1/3

#Scottish #literature #BannedBooksWeek #censorship #poem #poetry #TomLeonard

This newspaper hoarding – hung by Tom Leonard here on his bookcase – was described by the author as

“the only ‘trophy’ I ever got for my poetry that continues to give me some pleasure, when I remember it.”

3/3

https://www.tomleonard.co.uk/journal/blog-march.html

#Scottish #literature #BannedBooksWeek #censorship #poem #poetry #TomLeonard

would thi prisoner
in thi bar
please stand

fur thi aforesaid crime
uv writn anuthir poem
awarded the certificate of safety
by thi scottish education department …

—Tom Leonard, published in GHOSTIE MEN (Galloping Dog Press, 1980)

2/3

#Scottish #literature #BannedBooksWeek #censorship #poem #poetry #TomLeonard

BANNED BOOKS WEEK
5–11 October 2025

Tom Leonard’s 1984 poetry collection INTIMATE VOICES was banned in Scotland’s Central Region school libraries. The Education Committee said

“There are some harmful words in it … Sometimes the naked truth has to be clothed”

But Leonard had anticipated this sort of reaction…

1/3

#Scottish #literature #BannedBooksWeek #censorship #poem #poetry #TomLeonard

With authoritarian politicians on the rise, book bannings sweeping across the USA and elsewhere through political censorship, with minorities targeted by the press, it’s never been more important to stand up for writers, communities and the books which have been challenged or removed. The titles banned might surprise you. We join Index on Censorship and other booksellers in marking #bannedbooksweek here in the UK and elsewhere.
Read. Read banned books.

With authoritarian politicians on the rise, book bannings sweeping across the USA and elsewhere through political censorship, with minorities targeted by the press, it’s never been more important to stand up for writers, communities and the books which have been challenged or removed. The titles banned might surprise you. We join Index on Censorship and other booksellers in marking #bannedbooksweek here in the UK and elsewhere.
Read. Read banned books.