Speaker: Ira Wells, President, PEN Canada; Victoria College, U of T, Wednesday Talk: February 25, 2026, 2pm-4pm, Faculty Club and Zoom – hybrid

Speaker: Ira Wells, President, PEN Canada; Victoria College, U of T

Title: “On Book Banning: Saving Children from the Harm of Books”

Abstract: From the destruction of libraries in ancient Rome to today’s state-sponsored efforts to suppress LGBTQ+ literature, book bans arise from the impulse toward social control. Recently, school libraries have emerged as an important battleground for literary censorship. In a lightning survey of important legal decisions, literary controversies, and philosophical arguments, this talk will illustrate the historical opposition to the freedom to read and argues that today’s conservatives and progressives alike are warping our children’s relationship with literature and teaching them that the solution to opposing viewpoints is outright expurgation.

Bio: Ira Wells is a critic, essayist, and an associate professor at Victoria College in the University of Toronto, where he teaches in the Northrop Frye stream in literature and the humanities in the Vic One program. He is also the President of PEN Canada. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Globe and Mail, Guardian, The New Republic, and many other venues. His recent books include Norman Jewison: A Director’s Life and On Book Banning. He lives in Toronto with his wife and children.

The link to register is https://forms.office.com/r/LcQWPcmMRP

The deadline to register is the Monday before the event at noon. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.

If you have any questions, please contact the organizer, Linda Hutcheon at l.hutcheon@utoronto.ca.