UK’s visa ban raises spectre of apartheid | Letters

Author Beverley Naidoo condemns the UK’s decision to deny an Iranian artist a visa to attend the Edinburgh festivalThe UK government’s denial of a visa to Ehsan Abdollahi (Iranian artist barred from Edinburgh festival after ‘Kafkaesque’ visa refusal, 21 July) suggests a game of snakes without ladders in a hall of mirrors. Being divorced, he was told that “no one is dependent on you” ie a bad mark for not having a pull factor to go back to Iran. Last year, however, the artist Marjan Vafaian was refused a visa despite her husband intending to stay in Tehran when she’d be travelling. Her bad mark was apparently for being too young. Making pots of money as an artist in the UK would be a pull factor to keep her here while, in Abdollahi’s case, his work as an illustrator and teacher in Tehran was insufficient explanation for the funds in his bank. This is the third year that the brave little indie children’s book publisher Tiny Owl has had artists’ visas turned down. I have a personal interest as Marjan Vafaian is illustrating my text of Cinderella on the Nile and I have been hoping that we can do some events together after our book is published next year. Apartheid South Africa banned people and books in order to stop dialogue and communication of ideas. These visa denials ban UK audiences, particularly young people, from engaging with these Iranian artists. Why?Beverley NaidooBournemouth Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #indie children #personal interest

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Judge Stays Escambia County Book Banning Lawsuit to Consider Dismissal

The order comes after lawyers for the school district filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on several grounds, including that a policy change that went into effect on July 1 effectively moots the litigation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Banned Books BINGO for Book Clubs

Your book club can help fight book bans! See how many squares on this anti-censorship BINGO board you can fill out together. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-08-24 10:30:00 UTC ]
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'Friday Night Lights' Author Torches ChatGPT-Assisted Iowa Book Ban

H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger said whoever decided to use the software to pull his book from the Mason City school district is a "complete idiot." Continue reading at The Huffington Post

[ The Huffington Post | 2023-08-18 15:13:40 UTC ]
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Book festivals deserve sponsors, not boycotts | Letters

Readers respond to Baillie Gifford’s sponsorship of the Edinburgh book festival and threats by authors to boycott itRegarding your article (Authors threaten boycott of Edinburgh book festival over sponsors’ fossil fuel links, 11 August), collaboration and creativity are key to addressing the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-15 15:13:57 UTC ]
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An Iowa school district is using AI to ban books

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[ Engadget | 2023-08-14 20:25:41 UTC ]
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Letter to Salma, by Yousef Khanfar

Letter to Salma, by Yousef Khanfar Literary Tributes [email protected] Wed, 08/09/2023 - 15:14 In the following tribute, Yousef Khanfar pens a letter to the eminent scholar Salma Khadra Jayyusi, laureate of the 2021 Palestine Prize for Literature,... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2023-08-09 20:14:32 UTC ]
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Beyond Book Banning: PEN America Warns of ‘Booklash,’ Self-Censorship

PEN America says it sees book publishing 'at a crossroads' in a new report warning of cancel culture, review-bombing, and book banning. The post Beyond Book Banning: PEN America Warns of ‘Booklash,’ Self-Censorship appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-08-07 21:16:27 UTC ]
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Book Bans May Bring the Return of Child-Free Libraries: Censorship News, August 4, 2023

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[ Book Riot | 2023-08-04 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Arthur children’s book faces potential Florida ban over claim it ‘damaged souls’

School district member files challenge to Arthur’s Birthday, 1989 book by Marc Brown, which is among 45 titles pending reviewA title in the Arthur children’s book series is facing a potential ban after a conservative activist claimed that it “damaged souls”.On 12 July, Bruce Friedman, a member... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-28 16:22:54 UTC ]
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'It could very well bankrupt us,' says bookseller suing over Texas school book ban

Valerie Koehler says that if her book shop is forced to comply with a new state law regulating public school literature, she might go out of business. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-07-26 21:13:13 UTC ]
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Movers and Shakers: Hearst UK, M&C Saatchi, Leo Burnett and McCann Worldgroup

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[ Media Week | 2023-07-26 10:26:04 UTC ]
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The UK’s IPG Announces AI Training for Independent Publishers

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-07-25 17:09:49 UTC ]
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Children's Author Becomes a 'Loudmouth' for Banned Books

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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DPLA Launches ‘Geo-targeted’ Banned Book Club via Palace E-book App

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The indie publishing mavericks shaking up the UK books world

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[ The Guardian | 2023-07-16 08:00:02 UTC ]
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Massachusetts Legislators Propose Book Ban Bills

In the past two weeks, three separate bills addressing book bans in schools and libraries have been proposed in Massachusetts. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-07-13 13:58:56 UTC ]
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Amazon's New European Sourcing Policies Raise Concerns for U.S. Publishers

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Lawsuit Challenges Montana's Sweeping New Ban on Drag Performances

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Hoopla, Overdrive/Libby Now Banned for Those Under 18 in Mississippi

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[ Book Riot | 2023-07-07 15:33:07 UTC ]
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Transgender woman, bookstore, teacher sue over Montana law banning drag reading events

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[ ABC News | 2023-07-07 01:02:34 UTC ]
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