Publisher Penguin Random Home has launched a new crafting award in the US celebrating independence of expression in response to a increase in guide bans across the country.

The Independence of Expression award invitations candidates to write about just one banned e-book that transformed their daily life and why. The $10,000 (£8,168) prize will be awarded to a significant-faculty pupil scheduling to attend university in 2024.

“In the midst of censorship efforts, it’s critical that we shield and rejoice liberty of expression, especially for younger people whose voices we need to have and want to lift up now far more than at any time,” mentioned Claire von Schilling, director of company communications and social accountability at Penguin Random House.

Book bans in US community universities enhanced by 33% in excess of the previous college calendar year in accordance to a September report by Pen America. It observed that the authors whose textbooks have been targeted were most frequently ladies, individuals of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.