Banned Book Network Münster: Banned Books in Conversation, part 4 (Prof. Dr. C. Norrick-Rühl on "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret")

In response to the steep increase in book banning and attempted book challenges in the USA and beyond, the University of Münster’s Chairs for Book Studies and American Studies have co-founded “Banned Books Network Münster” (BBNM). Our purpose is to raise awareness of the increase in book banning, to create spaces for engagement with banned books, and to discuss the wider repercussions of these bans. Our events are inclusive in nature, and we hope to engage students, teachers, colleagues, and the wider reading public with our initiative.

At the fourth event of this series, Prof. Dr. Corinna Norrick-Rühl (Chair of Book Studies, University of Münster) will speak about Are You there God? It's Me, Margaret (1970), a coming-of-age middle-grade novel by Judy Blume, whose works have been challenged and banned for decades. Over the years, Judy Blume has become an activist in the fight against book banning - see, for instance, "Judy's Thoughts on Censorship" (https://judyblume.com/judy-blume-on-censorship/). Are You there God? It's Me, Margaret was adapted as a full-length feature film in 2023, starring Amy McAdams and Kathy Bates (among others), and the recent adaptation has brought the book back into public scrutiny.