The value of exploring diversity in literature amidst the rise of calls to ban books
Elishiva Phillips (she/her) // Contributor
Tin Raganit (they/them) // Illustrator
It’s no shock to anyone who reads the news that we’re living in a politically divisive time. The gulf in experience and values between people can feel like an unfathomable canyon to try and cross. After all, every person’s experience of the world is unique to them. One person has perfect pitch, another is tone deaf; one person never experiences wealth, another never experiences poverty. Language, then, can be a crucial step in bridging that gap between different lived realities. Maybe you can’t hear music the way someone with pitch can, but you can imagine it if someone who speaks the same language describes it to you in a meaningful way. Reading is a natural extension of this. It can travel farther and reach broader audiences than one-on-one conversation. For precisely this reason, book bans are popular among authoritarian regimes. According to an article published by CBC, we see calls for book bans rising even here in our own backyard.
According to a BBC article published on June 2, 2019, research suggests a quantifiable correlation between reading and the development of empathy. Participants who read more fiction were better able to understand the people around them, challenging the idea that readers are more introverted and withdrawn. This seems to align with the views of other educators and researchers that reading narrative fiction is helpful in developing morality and empathy for others, according to a 2022 study titled How Do Children Socially Learn from Narrative Fiction: Getting the Lesson, Simulating Social Worlds, or Dialogic Inquiry? However, it can be easy to find ourselves falling back on novels that reflect what we already know. So, what can you do to break out of that echo chamber? You can start by looking at the following local book related resources.
Upstart & Crow, a self-described “not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator,” focuses on providing support to transformative programs and artists whose work focuses on social change. Recent examples have included programs geared towards supporting writing on climate solutions, or their translation series where they highlight authors whose works have been translated from another language.
Other bookstores geared towards supporting diverse and marginalized voices include New West’s Wildfires Bookshop, a queer, South Asian owned and operated store that focuses on highlighting books by authors from diverse backgrounds. Their store also functions as a lounge and event space where they host author book launches, witchy markets and writing workshops. Near Chinatown, in the historic Strathcona neighbourhood, Indigenous-owned Massy Books often highlights books by diverse voices and hosts events like book launches and writing workshops. Similarly, located in the Hastings-Sunrise area is Iron Dog Books, another Indigenous-owned and operated book store that began its life as a mobile bookstore before putting down roots in Vancouver. They also host book launches and author readings that focus on uplifting Indigenous voices.
You can also find great reads through the Vancouver Public Library. If you look through their new titles section, they highlight categories such as Canadian, Indigenous and LGBTQ+, which lead you to even more specific categories of authors. The Canadian tab, for example, highlights books and authors specific to Vancouver, as well as Black authors and Asian-American non-fiction.
Although the world can feel overwhelming in difficult times, reading can help ground you and give you a new perspective. It can make you feel seen. There is strength in knowing you are not alone and in being able to understand perspectives outside your own.