Stavanger, the City of Free Speech: Banned Books

American author Maia Kobabe is the creator of Gender Queer, one of the most debated and challenged books in the United States in recent years. Removed from library shelves in several states, the book has placed Kobabe at the center of a global conversation about censorship, freedom of expression, and the right to read. In 2024, Gender Queer was also removed from a school library in Norway.

In a conversation with Trine Skei Grande (Norwegian Publishers Association) Kobabe shares the experience of being "banned". They will also discuss why certain books provoke such strong reactions and the consequences of restricting access to literature. What is at stake when others are allowed to decide which stories can be told - and which can be read?