LGBTQ+ Censorship Panel

Tuesday 28th June, 7pm 

Censorship of LGBTQ+ stories is nothing new, but in recent months there has been a worrying increase in the political interest in censoring materials containing LGBTQ+ characters and storylines. From attacks on legislative protection to short-notice cancellation of events in libraries celebrating LGBTQ+ storylines, we are seeing a concerning amount of censure. The introduction and repeal of Section 28, which sought to “prohibit the promotion of homosexuality” is fresh in people’s memory when considering the current political landscape. 

Join us for an evening panel where we will be discussing issues surrounding censorship with award-winning author Simon James Green, Sab Samuel AKA Aida H Dee - children’s author and the founder of Drag Queen Story Hour UK with further speakers to be announced.

Speakers will discuss where they have encountered censorship in their own work, where we see the issues in libraries (and beyond!) today, and what we can do about them.

Meet our panel:

Simon James Green is an award-winning author of books for children and young adults.  His YA novels include Noah Can’t Even (long listed for the Branford Boase and picked by WHSmith as one of the most important LGBT books of the last fifty years); Noah Could Never; Alex in Wonderland (nominated for the Carnegie medal and selected as one of the top 20 LGBTQ+ books of 2019 by Attitude); Heartbreak Boys, You’re the One That I Want (Winner of the Bristol Teen Book Award), and Gay Club! Simon’s picture books include Llama Glamarama, and Fabulous Frankie, both illustrated by Garry Parsons. His middle-grade novels include Sleepover Takeover and Life of Riley: Beginner’s Luck, which was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award, and featured in BookTrust’s Great Books Guide 2021. 

Sab Samuel AKA Aida H Dee, is a children’s author and the founder of Drag Queen Story Hour UK. Aida H Dee The Storytime Drag Queen writes LGBTQ children's stories, travels the country, and performs them in fabulous storytelling shows, with five star reviews at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the most wide spread LGBTQ children's show in the UK. Aida is the first drag artist in Europe to read stories to children, in a nursery in Soho! Aida was most recently shortlisted by The PinkNews Awards as Local Leader Of The Year 2022. Find out more about Drag Queen Story Hour UK on their website www.dragqueenstoryhour.co.uk . 

Colette Townend is a Librarian at Lambeth Libraries in South London. Lambeth has one of the largest LGBTQ+ populations in Europe and Colette delivers library services at Tate South Lambeth Library in the queer neighbourhood of Vauxhall just a stone’s throw from the famous Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Day to day she runs events, buys stock and answers enquiries responding to the wishes and needs of the local community. She also leads on Systems for the library service and, having recently graduated from CityLIS library school, is now building a CILIP Chartership portfolio. Her CityLIS dissertation partially focused on research into the Section 28 LGBTQ+ censorship law’s impact on libraries. She co-wrote Book 28’s recent guide Welcoming LGBTIQ+ Users: advice for public library workers (2022) with Isadore Auerbach George and Dr Elizabeth L. Chapman. She recently led training for Lambeth Libraries staff on censorship, particularly looking at the issues facing the service, the ethical responsibilities of library staff and Lambeth’s approach. She is writing an upcoming article about public libraries’ response to transphobia when making library stock decisions in next month’s Information Professional. Additionally she has run a LGBTQ+ zine fair and starting a zine library in Lambeth, worked with Camp Books to publish a map of LGBTQ+ history in the borough and is leading a project modernising Subject Headings representing marginalised groups in Lambeth’s library catalogue.

Caroline Roche is Chair of CILIP's School Libraries Group, a position she has held for six years.  Caroline spent six years in public libraries before moving on to a school library, and found her dream job!  Caroline has worked for over 30 years in different school libraries both in the state and independent sector.  She is currently working in an independent school in south east London.  Caroline is a chartered librarian who believes that all schools should be led by a trained, experienced librarian, and she has worked towards this end throughout her Chairship of SLG.  Caroline is also co chair of the Great School Libraries Campaign (greatschoollibraries.org.uk )  whose ambition is to restore school libraries to every school in the UK.  Caroline - and the SLG Committee - is very concerned about the recent trend of censorship in school libraries, and her committee is working hard to formulate responses to this worrying situation.

Chairing the session is Deborah Varenna, Chair of the CILIP LGBTQ+ Network Committee. She has worked in Public, FE College and Third Sector Libraries. After graduating with an MA Librarianship from the University of Sheffield, she joined the Steering Group for the CILIP LGBTQ+ Network, to help build inclusive and supportive spaces for LGBTQ+ Library, Knowledge and Information workers.