The renowned fantasy novel “The Golden Compass”, written by British author Philip Pullman, has earned a top spot on the Top 100 list. children's book of all time, in a poll organized by BBC Culture. At No. 6 on the list, Pullman becomes the highest-ranking living author.
The censored book is the first in the British writer's "Frontiers of the Universe" saga. Upon release in the US in 1996, it faced bans in some regions of the country. In 2008, almost 10 years after its debut, it reached a critical position regarding its content, being among the most questioned books in the country.
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The author's work aroused controversy due to the reported worldview, considered by some to be an atheistic book, which became enough to disturb some American groups. That's when the Catholic League questioned the inclusion of the book among the banned publications of the ALA (North American Library Association).
In the United Kingdom, writer Philip Pullman received criticism from columnist Peter Hitchens, who described how an author versus C.S. Lewis, referring to the author of the “Chronicles of Narnia”.
Hitchens claimed that Pullman was the writer that atheists would have wanted, had atheists prayed. Here, we see that it is an ideological position to determine the banning of the work.
It is noteworthy that “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, the first book in the Lewis series, occupies the seventh position on the list of the 100 best children's books of all time, which was also compiled by BBC.
Book bans in the US have become common
The banning of “The Golden Compass” can be seen as an early example of book censorship based on highly ideological, moral or religious grounds. However, in the United States, the issue of censorship and questioning of books has reached unprecedented heights.
According to the American Library Association, there has been a significant increase in the number of book inquiries in 2022, reaching more than 2,500 individual titles. That's the most attempted book bans on record since the ALA began tracking this data more than 20 years ago.
As highlighted by the institution's president, Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada, attempts to ban books are, in essence, a way to silence writers who have the courage to share their stories.
The diversity of voices in literature is key to promoting understanding, empathy and building a more inclusive society.
As highlighted by Pelayo-Lozada, most of the books questioned are written by LGBTQ+ authors or those belonging to ethnic minorities, or address issues related to these communities. These books are available in libraries because they are requested and desired by members of the community.
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