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The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) is producing a commemorative book “Reading Dangerously” to celebrate its anniversary and highlight 50 years of advocacy, education, and litigation through essays, oral histories, images, and book excerpts. The book will feature a forward by author Neil Gaiman and an essay by former FTRF director James LaRue that looks forward to the foundation’s next 50 years.

To support the creation of the book, FTRF launched a Kickstarter campaign that offers exclusive rewards. Supporters of FTRF and backers can support the project by purchasing a copy of Reading Dangerously, exclusive merchandise, or by making generous donations and pledges on the foundation’s campaign page. Rewards include hardcopy and electronic versions of Reading Dangerously, Skype visits with authors Jennifer L. Holm and Cory Doctorow, banned book bracelets and tickets to the foundation’s in Washington D.C., with keynote speaker Colson Whitehead. . Reserve your copy now .

The book will be presented at the foundation’s 50th anniversary celebration on Saturday, June 22, 2019 during the ������ý’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The Freedom to Read Foundation is a nonprofit legal and educational organization founded in 1969 to promote and protect the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press; protect the public's right of access to information and materials stored in the nation's libraries; safeguard libraries' right to disseminate all materials contained in their collections; and support libraries and librarians in their defense of First Amendment rights by supplying them with legal counsel or the means to secure it.

Colson Whitehead will be the keynote speaker. Mr. Whitehead is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “The Underground Railroad” (an Oprah’s Book Club selection and winner of the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize), “The Noble Hustle,” “Zone One,” “Sag Harbor,” “The Intuitionist,” “John Henry Days,” “Apex Hides the Hurt,” and one collection of essays, “The Colossus of New York.” He has received a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Writers Award, the Dos Passos Prize, a fellowship at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, and was previously a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for John Henry Days.

Tickets for this event can be purchased through Kickstarter at the $40 level. The tickets through Kickstarter also include an e-book copy of Reading Dangerously.