On Saturday, November 16, join former French Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak and American academic and librarian Emily Drabinski for a conversation on book bans and censorship, moderated by Maris Kreizman. 

Former French Minister of Culture Rima Abudul Malak will discuss how censorship restricts diverse voices and the narratives that shape our understanding of the world. Drawing on her experience in office and her 2024 Research Fellowship at the Clark Art Institute, she will share her insights on how the European far-right exerts pressure on cultural expression. 

Emily Drabinski, a librarian and advocate for intellectual freedom, will explore the ethical responsibilities of libraries and the history of censorship. As former the President of the American Library Association, she will address the challenges that US public libraries have faced in recent years. 

The conversation will explore the motivations behind book bans, the impact on marginalized voices, and strategies for promoting access to literature. Through their dialogue, Abdul Malak and Drabinski aim to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the freedom to read, emphasizing the value of diverse literature in fostering a democratic society. 

The conversation will take place in English and will be followed by a book signing. This event is free with RSVP. Click here for tickets. 

This event is co-organized with Villa Albertine, and is a part of Albertine’s 10th Anniversary Celebration. 

 Photos credits: © DR / © Thibaut Chapotot 

RIMA ABDUL MALAK is a former French Minister of Culture (2022–2024) and served as President Macron’s Culture and Media Advisor. During her tenure, she focused on heritage preservation, increasing youth access to the arts, supporting media pluralism, and developing French creative industries. Prior to these roles, she was a Cultural Advisor to the Mayor of Paris and a Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of France in the United States. In the summer of 2024, she was a Fellow at the Clark Art Institute, where she researched the far-right’s cultural war in Europe. 

EMILY DRABINSKI is Associate Professor at the Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. She publishes and presents widely on topics related to knowledge organization, information literacy, and critical perspectives in librarianship. Emily Drabinski edits Gender and Sexuality in Information Studies, a book series from Library Juice Press/Litwin Books. She is a contributing writer at Truthout. She is immediate past-president of the American Library Association.