Today in Writing History May 7, 1867: Polish author Wladyslaw Reymont was born. His best-known work is the award-winning four-volume novel Chłopi (The Peasants), which won him the 1924 Nobel Prize in Literature. Also in 1924, he published his novel “Revolt,” about a rebellion of farm animals fighting for equality. However, the revolt quickly degenerates into bloody terror. It was a metaphor for the Bolshevik Revolution. Consequently, the Polish authorities banned it from 1945 to 1989. Reymont’s farm animal rebellion predated Orwell’s by 21 years.
It’s striking that in the name of ‘protecting the children,’ someone would threaten to blow up a library at a time they would reasonably assume it was full of children.
Tells you a lot about the kinds of people banning books.
Malaysia's Home Ministry has banned several books featuring LGBTQ+ characters or themes, retroactively from Jan. 20.
The government says the books promote an LGBT "lifestyle" that is a threat to religious (Islamic) and societal values. Those caught with the banned books could face a prison sentence of up to three years, a maximum fine of 20,000 ringgit ($4,500), or both.
Malaysia has seen increasing religious fundamentalism in recent years with the hardline Islamic party PAS making significant gains in the November general election, and the bans are reflective of the government's conservative attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community. The ban comes amid ongoing legal action against two LGBTQ+ music videos.
Some of the books banned : Jacob’s New Dress, The Tale of Steven, Jacob’s Room to Choose, Aku
Malaysian human rights activists have criticized the government's decision.