The Velshi Banned Book Club began in 2021 when Ali Velshi recognized that American towns, school districts, and politicians were increasing efforts to ban books. The stories were mainly local, and felt underreported. This was an alarming pattern that we now recognize was the front end of a massive, increasingly organized nationwide movement which has accelerated significantly since 2021 and poses a very real threat to our most dearly held freedoms.
The Banned Book Club joined the fight for the freedom to read, write, and to think with a mission of reading as resistance.
As the show progressed, there was a shift from coverage about book bans into the literature that was being banned: the stories, the voices, and the perspectives that conservative, far-right groups are trying to silence.
Each week, Velshi shared a different and powerful experience talking to authors who answered questions the news simply couldn’t answer. These conversations added texture, color, and emotion to the story.
The Banned Book will be coming with Velshi as he moves on to The 11th Hour. In this final Sunday episode, he shares his favorite moments from the more than 170 conversations with authors who helped us understand the power of literature.
Listen to Velshi look back
Watch: Reading as Resistance
MORE FROM VELSHI’S BANNED BOOK CLUB
