Here is my opinion about censorship of books, which I can only hope will not be censored or deleted.

Censorship undermines the fundamental human right to freedom of expression. A right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It says: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and expression.” When literature is censored, individuals are denied the opportunity to express themselves and to explore new ideas and perspectives. This lead to a narrow-minded society, where only a limited range of opinions and viewpoints are considered acceptable.

Their (Penguin and other publishing companies) desire to censor written material, or ban books, may stem from a desire to protect individuals from so-called “harmful” content. In effect they are taking away an individuals agency and the ability to make their own decisions about what they choose to read, they are infantilizing readers and denying them the opportunity to grow from exposure to challenging or controversial material.

There is also the chilling effect this form of censorship has on creativity and innovation. Authors are forced to self-censor and avoid certain topics or themes, they are discouraged to write books containing characters not of their own race or skin color, they are prevented from pushing boundaries or exploring new topics and different perspectives in their writing. As a result this will lead to a stagnation of literary culture, where only safe and predictable works will be published, and secondly it will backfire on companies now promoting safe and clean, unoffending, boring, republications of literary classics, mutilated by a select few 'sensitivity-readers' and supporters.

Finally, censorship can be arbitrary and subjective, and can be used to suppress dissenting voices. Those in positions of power may use censorship as a tool to maintain the status quo, while those pressure groups, hellbent to have books, theatrical plays, TV and movie productions censored, rewritten or adapted, are suppressing alternative viewpoints or perspectives. This is particularly harmful in higher education, where this cancer is spreading, and free speech is only good for one side, and open arguments are discouraged, so as not to offend anyone!

In conclusion, Penguin and everyone rewriting history, books or anything at all, undermines fundamental human rights, infantilizes individuals, suppresses artistic creativity, and stifles dissenting voices. As such, I reject all forms of literary censorship and instead promote free expression, open dialogue, and diversity of perspectives and ideas. That said, as long as the original books are available as a physical or preserved digital copies, those companies can censor, mutilate and republish all they want to. When no one is going to buy it, they will eventually have to stop and reconsider, or go bust. As long as it isn't in their power to remove access to originals, I don't worry too much for the future of open-minded, albeit controversial material being published.

-

Always remember: keep an open mind and don't ever let anyone dictate what and how you have to think, what to read, which words you use, what you are watching and who you have to like or dislike, or what you say and how you have to say it. If, on the other hand, someone likes and supports this, there are countries those individuals would certainly love to live in. It must be easy to have people thinking for you and dictating what material is deemed save to read. If you wish to support people, do it in your daily life, be supportive and open minded, and take people for who they are, if they are good and friendly, you be the same, that's what makes a real difference. ;-)