32nd The Book Boat

Free the word – Every Story Counts

Around the world queer voices are under pressure. Books are being removed from classrooms and libraries. Authors and illustrators face coercion and exclusion. Publishers, booksellers and librarians are being threatened. Stories are being edited out, barred or banned. That’s why we raise our voices: loudly, visibly and together.

The Book Boat brings together authors, illustrators, creators, librarians, booksellers and other professionals from the Dutch book sector. Under the banner Free the word – Every Story Counts the boat, with a bold fist and celebratory glitter, draws attention to the power of stories, the visibility of the queer community and the increasing pressure on queer books, authors and perspectives worldwide.

“This isn’t only about books. This is about existence,” says poet and children’s author Pim Lammers. “The freedom to write, the freedom to be yourself.” “Whoever censors the life stories of queer and trans people is essentially saying: you are not allowed to exist,” says writer Haroon Ali.

The Book Boat is a giant, sailing open book. Texts and illustrations by the onboard creators appear on the boat itself. Some words are visible, others crossed out or hidden behind black censorship bars. In this way the Book Boat makes visible what is happening to stories, authors and people around the world.

The Book Boat is an initiative of a wide collective from the Dutch book field: Stichting Lezen, KB nationale bibliotheek, Stichting CPNB, De Schrijverscentrale, het Letterenfonds, the Vereniging Openbare Bibliotheken (VOB), Groep Algemene Uitgevers (GAU), De Schoolschrijver, the Literatuurmuseum/Kinderboekenmuseum, the Taalunie, NBD Biblion, Hebban, Stichting SPN, the Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (OBA), the Koninklijke Boekverkopersbond (Kbb) and the Auteursbond.