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NZ children’s book author Graci Kim forgoes US tour amid political concerns

She had planned another tour to celebrate Dreamslinger‘s release later this month, but the acclaimed author recently shared with Facebook followers that securing school visits had become “increasingly difficult”, especially “for certain groups of writers”.“As a writer of Korean heritage, with a Korean name, and with books that draw inspiration from Korean culture and mythology, my visit could be seen as a ‘diversity and inclusion’ initiative, and therefore something that could invite scrutiny and challenge from their schools, boards, or authorities,” Kim shared on Facebook.In a conversation with the Herald, the 38-year-old author and mother said while many factors dictate these decisions, feedback from teachers suggested there were concerns her books could become targets in the culture war debate affecting US schools.“What I was hearing was definitely fear,” Kim said, adding American teachers and librarians face “so much uncertainty” in a fractious socio-political landscape.AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.“I’ve done school visits without any problem, public events with great support. This is definitely a marked change,” she said.Kim pointed to broader challenges American schools currently face, including budget cuts in education (particularly for library-related resources), changes in youth reading patterns, and the rollback of DEI initiatives, which she believes have made it harder for writers like her to find a platform willing to promote their work.“Does it make a difference that I am who I am and I write what I write? I think absolutely, yes.”Despite her setback in the US, Kim says she’s received “so much support” at home from schools, readers, and her publisher, which is “something for us to be proud of” as Kiwis.Kim plans to undergo an in-person US tour later this year, “with the hope that the landscape has shifted somewhat by then”. Photo / 123rf“My local publisher here, Penguin Random House, they’ve got an awesome school tour organised in May and it’s just a completely different world”.Meanwhile, Kim’s US publisher, Disney, is continuing to support Dreamslinger‘s rollout in American bookstores while organising a “belated” in-person tour towards the end of the year, “with the hope that the landscape has shifted somewhat by then”.Acknowledging it’s still a “crappy situation” to be in, Kim sees her continued writing as both “an act of rebellion” and an “act of joy and compassion”.She says the experience has also highlighted how many educators, booksellers and publishers are “trying their best to counter the uncertainty” that writers and readers alike are facing.“I’m going to continue writing these stories because I have a sense of responsibility for these kids that I write for, and I refuse to let them down”, Kim said.“Whatever the circumstances are, the choice to keep writing is mine and mine only, and that’s something that no one can take from me”.AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.Dreamslinger publishes on April 29 and is available for pre-order now from penguin.co.nz.Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.

GU’s display in Hemmingson raises awareness of banned books

Gonzaga University’s Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center and Foley Library collaborated to raise awareness on the censorship of LGBTQ+ literature through a display of popular banned books, quotes and general information about the topic in the John J. Hemmingson Center rotunda Monday through Wednesday.The three-day display also included a banned book reading on Tuesday in Hemmingson’s Joann Jundt Lounge, which was open to anyone interested in reading literature of their choosing. On Wednesday, librarians from both Spokane Public Library and Foley Library led a discussion panel on the effects of banning books and ways to resist the practice.Matthew Barcus, the Lincoln Center’s program manager, said the event was not identity based, but was geared toward the whole GU community. Barcus said the center’s collaboration with the library showed that the subject matter can affect anyone and that the event will promote free speech and ideas on campus.
“It’s important to stand up against silencing of voices and removal of information, because we want things to be accessible,” Barcus said. “We want people to be able to have conversations that we may not agree with and see things from a different perspective.”Ann Ciasullo, a GU professor of English and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, said this exhibit is very relevant today, with the number of book bans increasing significantly in the last few years.“I don’t know if we’ve done something like this before,” Ciasullo said. “It’s quite timely.”Ciasullo, who read at the event, said that book bans are often based on a misunderstanding of the text.“Whenever I hear about books being banned, I always look at why. Usually, it’s something in the book that’s taken out of context,” Ciasullo said. “We’re used to seeing things in snippets [or] posts on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook — even news stories. They don’t give the fuller context.”Barcus said that book bans could target literature beyond LGBTQ+ themes.“What they start with now might be LGBTQ+ things and diversity, but what if they start removing books about witchcraft?” Barcus said. “Then you lose ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ and all these great books. There’s something for somebody to object to in most literature.”Ciasullo shared similar thoughts, saying that even religious texts could contain objectionable material.“If we’re banning books, then the Bible also has a lot of stuff in it,” Ciasullo said. “Just because the Bible mentions sex, does that mean it should be banned?”
Ciasullo also said that book bans have targeted themes concerning racial identity.“There seems to be a focus on banning books that put people in groups, which would be any book that highlights racism,” Ciasullo said.One of Ciasullo’s favorite childhood reads, “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton, is one book that has come under fire.”That book was banned, which seems crazy to me,” Ciasullo said.Because a significant number of book bans are not initiated by legislators or politicians, Barcus said he thinks GU’s exhibit is not necessarily political. “[Book bans] can come from community members [or] parents — folks who may not have a political position but want to assert their worldview on what other people have access to,” Barcus said. While the GU community has not banned any books, Barcus said he wants the event to raise awareness for places that are actively doing so. “Luckily, it’s not happening on our campus, but we want to recognize that this is happening in other places,” Barcus said. “And as part of our Jesuit values, we want to stand up to that.”

Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Announce 2025 Winners

The awards, now in their 90th year, honors Danzy Senna, John Swanson Jacobs, Jonathan D. S. Schroeder, Tessa Hulls, Janice Harrington and Yusef Komunyakaa. By Annie Nickoloff

Now in its 90th year, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards have announced its latest class of winning publications — all of which are centered around race and diversity, and all of which were published last year. The Cleveland-based awards are administered by the Cleveland Foundation.”For 90 years, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards have championed fearless, groundbreaking literature that challenges the status quo, ignites dialogue, and shapes a more just and inclusive world,” said Lillian Kuri, the Cleveland Foundation’s president and CEO, in a news release. “This year’s winners unearth buried histories, redefine cultural narratives, and demand our attention — at a moment when these voices are more vital than ever.” RELATED: Cleveland Foundation Headquarters Officially OpensIn the fiction category, author Danzy Senna wins for her novel Colored Television, which follows the story of a biracial novelist who shifts into writing for television.Artist and author Tessa Hulls wins in the memoir category for her graphic memoir Feeding Ghosts — a detailed examination of trauma that spanned three generations of her family. Notably, it’s the first graphic memoir to win an AWBA.Janice Harrington, a Chicago-based poet and children’s book author, wins for her collection Yard Show. The poems use images of people’s objects in their yards to tell Black stories and to symbolize community.Together, writer John Swanson Jacobs and editor Jonathan D. S. Schroeder earn the nonfiction award for the book The United States Governed by Six Hundred Thousand Despots: A True Story of Slavery; A Rediscovered Narrative, with a Full Biography. The first-person narrative was written by Jacobs, who was born into slavery in 1855 and who later spoke out and critiqued American politics. In the book, his historical narrative is followed up with a biography of Jacobs’s life and family by Schroeder.AWBA awards Yusef Komunyakaa with its lifetime achievement award, which honors the esteemed poet who has released more than a dozen collections that explore his experiences fighting in the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement.The winners were selected by a jury chaired by poet Natasha Trethewey.“This year’s winners add new dimensions to the Anisfield-Wolf legacy,” Trethewey said in a news release. “From a rediscovered first-person slave narrative to a searing portrait of modern racial identity, these books demand to be read and discussed.” Winners will be honored in a ceremony on Sept. 19 in Cleveland. Read more at anisfield-wolf.org.For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, publishing 12 times a year with immersive features, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.