As a publisher of books for readers of all kinds, of all ages, we support the rights of students and young people to have access to a broad range of literature and ideas. We believe that the ability to read about a variety of experiences and perspectives promotes empathy, encourages intellectual curiosity, and is one of the most important foundations of a free society.
We are deeply concerned about intensified efforts to remove certain books from libraries and classroom reading lists. These removals deny young people access to stories and conversations that interest them and broaden their understanding of the world. It is especially concerning that the targeted and banned books often contain narratives that deal with race, gender, sexual orientation, and other topics related to personal or cultural identity.
Many Hachette books are among those that have been challenged. We are proud of these banned and challenged books, and wholeheartedly support their authors and illustrators. We have made emergency donations to the Authors Guild, the National Coalition Against Censorship, and PEN America and support their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression and protect writers against censorship.
