Banned and Praised

Laurie Halse Anderson is one of America’s foremost writers for young adults. In 2023, she received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award – the world’s largest award for children’s and young adult literature. But her writing has not only been praised. Several of her titles are frequently found on lists of banned books in her home country because of their subject matter or plot. What does it mean for an author to have her books taken off the shelves in school libraries? How does it affect your writing and what can be said about the current situation for YA literature? Listen to Laurie Halse Anderson in conversation with writer and translator Lawrence Schimel.