Banned

The National Archives of Australia have now opened a cafe with a twist... it's an exhibition on the 'banned' books of Australia in the 20th Century!

From the Banned Blog:

"The National Archives in Canberra has updated its café with a new display on banned books. Read about the secret history of Australian censorship as you sip your coffee. You can also examine a censor’s report or flip through a copy of a book or magazine once prohibited in Australia."

Although it is in Canberra, it is definitely on my to-do list for the holidays. To satisfy my curiosity,  they actually have a blog which they are updating each month to highlight a certain book. It is really interesting to get an insight into what was happening in Australia through the banning of these texts. Even being able to have the opportunity to read the criteria for a suitable book in each time period sounds incredible!

There is a fantastic article on "The Catcher in the Rye" by JD Salinger on the blog at the moment. I was not aware of the degree of literary censorship in Australia- especially on such an influential novel. I wonder if there are any books still on the list? I can not wait to get down there and enjoy a coffee (or two!) and explore all these banned books :).