For the second year in a row, comics made an impressive showing in the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards! The winners and honorees for 2016 were announced early yesterday morning, and six graphic novels or memoirs were among the…
Author: Maren Williams
Reflecting on Charlie Hebdo One Year Later
Just over a year ago, the cartooning world was shaken by the attack that killed 12 people, including five well-known cartoonists, at the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The ensuing months have been packed with commemorations, commentaries, debates…
Egyptian Novelist Acquitted of “Harming Public Morality”
Last week, Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji and Tarek el-Taher, a newspaper editor who printed an excerpt from Naji’s book Use of Life, were acquitted on charges of “harming public morality.” The charges had been brought on behalf of a reader…
Five Hong Kong Booksellers Missing, Likely in Chinese Custody
Five employees of Hong Kong publisher and bookseller Mighty Current have gone missing in the past few months, and international publishing and free speech organizations are now demanding answers as to their whereabouts. Editor Lee Bo disappeared last Wednesday, approximately…
National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang Names Recommended Reading List
Every two years since 2008, the Library of Congress has chosen a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. This year we have particular reason to celebrate the announcement because for the first time ever the honor and responsibility has been bestowed on a graphic novelist: Gene Luen Yang!
Publishers Weekly Celebrates Decade of Growth in Comics
In the past decade, comics and graphic novels have transitioned from a niche market to a key component of many publishers’ business models. Previously pigeonholed as the exclusive province of adolescents (even if that was never true), comics have not…
Florida Bills Could Hold Education Hostage to Ideology
Some of the same parents who last summer waged a futile campaign against four books found in Collier County, Florida, school libraries are behind two new bills in the state legislature that would make it easier to challenge instructional materials…
CBLDF’s Top 15 Stories of 2015
As 2015 comes to an end, we’re taking a look back at our 15 most-read stories of the past year. In many cases we’ve also included links to follow-ups or other related stories. College Student Wants Graphic Novels Banned from…
10 Comics CBLDF Defended in 2015
Although comics have never been a bigger part of mainstream pop culture, they sustained more censorship attacks in 2015 than at any other time this century. CBLDF was on the case, fighting back by providing expert support to keep…
Graphic Novelist Leila Abdelrazaq Detained, Questioned by Border Patrol Over Sketchbook
Graphic novelist Leila Abdelrazaq, who recently won critical praise for her book Baddawi, was detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Arizona for three hours last week after they spotted Arabic writing in her sketchbook. Abdelrazaq, a U.S. citizen of…