Open Morning Assembly - Forbidden Books

Open morning assembly at Johan Borups Højskole on 6 October 2026, 9:00-10:00, as part of #forbudtebøgerugen - a Danish campaign launched by Dansk PEN focusing on freedom of expression and literary resistance.

Authors Uzma Akbari and Kristina Stoltz highlight books and texts that have been subject to censorship and bans. Kristina Stoltz, who also leads the author programme at Johan Borups Højskole, reads from Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Uzma Akbari - a Danish-Afghan author and former student of the school - introduces the Afghan oral poetry tradition landai: a short, condensed poetic form that has been carried and shared by women in secret for generations. Drawing on landai, she speaks about poetry as a language for experiences that cannot or must not be spoken aloud, and how the poetic form continues to be used and reinterpreted under extremely restricted conditions.

The morning assembly begins with communal singing accompanied by pianist Louise Schrøder at the piano. Around 9:40, croissants and coffee are served. Free entry - registration required only.

#forbudtebøgerugen connects to the American Banned Books Week, which since 1982 has marked the fight against book bans and censorship. Since 2021, around 23,000 books have been removed from American schools - particularly titles on LGBTQ+ themes and African American history - and pressure on authors and librarians is growing globally, including in Asia, Russia, the Middle East, and Europe.