The academic and writer Ira Wells discusses his new book On Book Banning (Biblioasis, 2025), with Joseph Planta.

On Book Banning by Ira Wells (Biblioasis, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: On Book Banning

The text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

The history of book banning is interesting enough, but in his new book, out today, Ira Wells takes a fascinating survey of literary censorship through the ages, and looks at the current efforts to ban books both emanating from the right, as well as the left. Libraries are seen by a lot of people as sites of contagion and exposure, and the front line as to what affects children’s minds, and so activists want to suppress opposing viewpoints in the pursuit of their ideological agenda. The arguments range from certain books causing harm because they promote social deviance, or harm can be had through racist language or non-inclusive narratives. The book opens with Mr. Wells, who joins me now, attending a public meeting regarding the books in his children’s school library. The librarian there wanted to do away with books that were written prior to 2008. I’ll ask Ira about the survey that happened, and why a greater role for parents should be played in the schools and libraries where their children learn. Ira Wells is a critic, essayist, and an associate professor at Victoria College in the University of Toronto, where he teaches in the Northrop Frye stream in literature and the humanities. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, the Globe and Mail, Guardian, and The New Republic, among many other publications. He was first on the program back in 2021 when his acclaimed biography Norman Jewison: A Director’s Life was published. On Book Banning is published by Biblioasis. We spoke in late January. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Ira Wells; Professor Wells, good morning.

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