David Shelley, CEO of Hachette, one of the “big five” publishing houses, grew up in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain under Section 28, a law in place from 1988 to 2003 that prohibited schools from “promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality.”
Recalling the 1980s, Shelley said his primary sources of information were teachers and libraries, but he felt isolated and depressed because he didn’t see anyone like himself. Then one day, he discovered Aidan Chambers’ 1982 novel Dance on My Grave—a story about two teenage boys in love—at the library.
“That was a lightbulb moment for me,” Shelley said. “Finding that book, which had somehow slipped through Thatcher’s law, was a real lifeline.”
Last year, Shelley was appointed CEO of both Hachette’s U.S. and U.K. divisions, prompting his move from London to New York City. Living in the U.S., he said, has stirred complex memories from his youth.
“It felt like I was back in Thatcher’s Britain in the 1980s. Not in all states, but in some,” Shelley remarked.
He expressed concern that the surge in book censorship efforts across the U.S. could cause young people to experience the same feelings of loneliness and isolation he faced as a teenager.
During Banned Books Week, two reports highlighted the growing issue of book censorship. PEN America’s report showed a sharp rise in book removals from school shelves in 2023-24, tripling from the previous year, with over 8,000 books banned in states like Florida and Iowa, where laws restrict LGBTQ-themed content. The American Library Association (ALA) noted a drop in complaints but still higher levels than pre-2020. Both reports reflect different approaches to defining book bans.
Authors like George M. Johnson and Dr. Seema Yasmin shared their experiences with “soft censorship,” where books are preemptively removed or not ordered out of fear of backlash. Yasmin’s The ABCs of Queer History had a major order canceled before its release, and Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue is one of the most banned books in the U.S. Both authors expressed concerns about the impact of this censorship on young readers, particularly marginalized groups, and the dangers of depriving them of representation.
Teachers and librarians are increasingly cautious, with some facing penalties for providing or even stocking books that might be challenged. Examples include a Georgia teacher fired for reading a gender-inclusive book and Utah proposing criminal charges for educators sharing sensitive materials. Meanwhile, lawsuits like PEN America’s against Florida’s Escambia County aim to protect free speech and access to diverse literature.
In response to growing censorship, Leah Johnson, another author, founded Loudmouth Books, a bookstore highlighting banned and marginalized authors. She sees these efforts as part of a larger attempt to erase queer identities from public life, and her upcoming book with George M. Johnson continues to challenge these restrictive measures.
Representation is so important for all ages but especially young people trying to understand themselves. This saddens me so much because I like to think it’s a minority of bigots causing this issue but so many are silent about it. I fear this country is in its death rattle stages and will soon become run by the American Taliban aka the GOP.