Controversial Classics
Obscene! Racist! Immoral! Blasphemous! These are just some of the charges that have been laid against works of literature over the centuries. Which novels have been especially controversial, resulting in court cases, the banning of the book, death threats and violence? Which works of literature have got readers and the authorities especially hot under the collar?
Susannah Fullerton examines some controversial classics — from Huckleberry Finn to Gone with the Wind, King Lear to Lady Chatterley’s Lover, right up to Harry Potter.
Discover what it was about these books which so upset people, when and how they started to gain public acceptance, and the consequences of banning them from schools and public libraries. Be challenged to think about how you yourself respond to these literary works, and what might make you ban a book?
This event will be held in the Metcalfe Auditorium, Ground Floor, Macquarie St Building, State Library NSW.