Ballad in Plain E

Just got this press release from a good friend in Winnipeg, about a 24-Hour Freedom to Read Marathon. Very cool event, one I wish I could attend.

Speaking of freedom to read, I’m going to the Deb Ellis reading tomorrow night at VPL Central. She’s the author of a book called “Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak” that has been quite controversial in the last while (the book is mentioned in the press release below). Should be really good.

Use it or Lose It! . . . your Freedom to Read

EVENT: 24hr Freedom to Read Marathon
DATE: 10am. Saturday, February 24 – 10am. Sunday, February 25
LOCATION: Millennium Library (251 Donald Street)

At 10am Saturday, February 25th the Manitoba Writers’ Guild will kick off the 5th annual 24hr Freedom to Read Marathon as part of the upcoming national Freedom to Read Week celebrations.

Staged in Winnipeg’s Millennium Library (251 Donald Street) the marathon will have participants work in a relay fashion, reading aloud a book that has been banned or challenged, for ten minutes. As each reader finishes their ten minutes of reading they are replaced with a new reader, who then shares a passage from a different banned or challenged book. In this way the words of authors who have been silenced, are celebrated for the 24-hour period.

From 10am until the library closes (5pm.) the marathon will take place in the reader services area on the main floor of the library. At the closing of the library the marathon proceedings will be escorted from the library in a symbolic gesture and the library gates will be drawn closed. From 5pm. onwards the marathon will take place in the foyer of the Millennium Library, with the shuttered gates of the Library looming in the background.

Titles read at the marathon are varied and far reaching, from kids books like Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” and “Harry Potter” to the Bible and Margaret Laurence’s “The Diviners.” Readers are also encouraged to read works by authors who face persecution for their writing around the world.

Recently, censorship issues have risen to the forefront with titles such as “Three Wishes” by Deborah Ellis and “The Higher Power of Lucky” by Susan Patron being banned and challenged in Canada and the United States respectively.

While freedom of speech is often taken for granted in Western Democracies, it continues to be challenged to this day. The 24hr Freedom to Read Marathon allows people from all walks of life a chance to raise their voice and use their FREEDOM TO READ.

People wanting to take part in this important event can learn more or sign up as a reader at the Manitoba Writers’ Guild website, www.mbwriter.mb.ca.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 22nd, 2007 at 9:48 am and is filed under Library Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.