Toronto, February 18, 2023 — The Book and Periodical Council and its Freedom of Expression Committee are thrilled to announce the 39th annual Freedom to Read Week (FTRW) in Canada. We can’t wait to see the unique array of celebrations and events across the country throughout the week, which runs from February 19 to February 25, 2023.
With gratitude, we have watched our supportive community adapt and organize both in-person and virtual activities to continue celebrating FTRW throughout the pandemic. We know that amplifying the importance of free expression and the freedom to read is vital to who we are. Now, more than ever, we need to help encourage necessary discussions about book and magazine censorship and access to reading materials.
“While Freedom to Read Week is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate reading and the freedoms we have in Canada, it’s also an important time to remember that these freedoms are frequently being challenged. The bookshelves in our libraries are essential in shaping the next generation. We all have a role to play in Freedom to Read Week – learn more about the books being challenged in your schools, libraries and bookstores. Read them. Be curious. Engage in the conversation,” says Michelle Arbuckle, co-chair of the Freedom of Expression Committee.
Here are some important events and announcements:
- The Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee will announce its 2023 Champions of Free Expression on February 21.
- The Writers’ Union of Canada announced its 2023 Freedom to Read Award winner on February 17.
- FTRW events will be hosted by our member organizations such as The Writers’ Union of Canada and the League of Canadian Poets.
Our website also features resources, including visuals, activity and display ideas, and newly published articles and interviews. Visit our Events page to learn about and register for FTRW activities, or submit your own to have it shared on our site. Join our social media channels at #FTRWeek and #FreedomtoRead to add to the discussion, or tag us:
Twitter: @freedom_to_read
Instagram: @bookandperiodicalcouncil
Facebook: @FreedomtoReadWeek
About Freedom to Read Week
Freedom to Read Week is organized by the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee, a group committed to promoting intellectual freedom in Canada. Since 1978, the committee has worked with educators, librarians, publishers, writers, booksellers, advocacy groups and the community at large to provide information that addresses censorship and book and magazine challenges in Canada.
We acknowledge the support of all our sponsors and in-kind supporters. For more information, visit https://www.freedomtoread.ca/freedom-to-read-week/sponsors-and-supporters/.
About the Book and Periodical Council
The Book and Periodical Council is the umbrella organization for Canadian associations that are or whose members are primarily involved with the writing, editing, translating, publishing, producing, distributing, lending, marketing, reading and selling of written words.
For more information, visit www.theBPC.ca.
The Book and Periodical Council (BPC) would like to acknowledge the sacred land upon which we operate. Toronto, known as Tkaronto, is the traditional territory of the Anishnabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Huron Wendat and, most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, who remain the current treaty holders. This territory is subject to the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement that was originally established between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Anishnabek Nation to peacefully and responsibly care for the lands and waters of the Great Lakes region. The tenets of this agreement still hold today and require our ongoing commitment to the land and one another. The meeting place of Tkaronto continues to be home to many First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities from across Turtle Island, and the Book and Periodical Council is grateful to meet and work in this community and on this territory.