Stephen King Tops List of Most Censored Authors as Book Bans Surge in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee
Book bans continue to make headlines, with Stephen King leading the list of most censored authors. Florida, Texas, and Tennessee remain the top states for book challenges and removals, according to PEN America's latest report.
The report reveals that Stephen King has faced 206 instances of censorship, with 87 of his books targeted. Florida tops the list of states with the most book bans, totaling 2,304 instances, followed by Texas with 1,781, and Tennessee with 1,622. Notably, thousands of books were removed from shelves proactively due to anticipated pressure, rather than direct threats.
The top five banned books for the 2024-2025 school year are 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Sold', 'Breathless', 'Last Night at the Telegraph Club', and 'A Court of Mist and Fury'. Since 2021, PEN America has documented nearly 23,000 cases of book bans across 45 states and 451 school districts. However, the total number of book bans in the current school year is down from over 10,000 in the previous year. Common reasons for book bans include LGBTQ+ themes, depictions of race, and violent or sexual content.
The PEN report highlights the ongoing trend of book censorship, with Florida, Texas, and Tennessee accounting for approximately 80% of these bans. Despite the decrease in overall book bans, the report underscores the persistent issue of book challenges and removals, with over 6,800 instances reported for the 2024-2025 school year.
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