All Cal State LA students can submit a two to three-page essay answering the prompt: "Why is the freedom to read essential to a functioning democracy?" as part of the Banned Books Week essay contest.
Prizes will be offered for the top two entries:
- First prize: $100 Cal State LA bookstore gift card
- Second prize: $50 Cal State LA bookstore gift card
Email your essay as a Microsoft Word file to [email protected] by 5 p.m. on Oct. 9 to be entered into the contest. Winners will be announced Oct. 16.
Banned Books Week spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community—librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers and readers of all types—in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. To learn more about banned books events, visit the Cal State LA Banned Books Guide.