An Open Letter to the Book Trade, Educators and Reading Community from Walker Books

An Open Letter to the Book Trade, Educators and Reading Community from Walker Books

In defence of stories that challenge, inspire and transform.

It is with both concern and resolve that we address the recent removal of Angie Thomas's groundbreaking novel The Hate U Give from a reading list at Budmouth Academy in response to a parent’s request.
We write today to firmly oppose the banning of books or any restrictions on young people's access to them in the UK. We proudly defend the freedom to read and stand against censorship in all its forms.
The Walker Books Group is a publisher deeply committed to bringing diverse voices, a range of experiences and perspectives and vital stories to young readers across the UK, Europe and the world.
Walker Books is immensely proud to publish Angie Thomas and this story of identity justice courage, and what it means to find your voice when the world tries to silence you. The Hate U Give is precisely the kind of story young people need – not in spite of its challenging content, but because of it. Literature has always been a safe space to grapple with difficult truths, to build empathy, and to understand the complexities of the world we share.
The Impact of The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give spent more than 200 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into 29 languages, won numerous awards – including the Waterstones Children’s Books Prize and the CILIP Amnesty Honour – and was adapted into a critically acclaimed film.
It has become a touchstone text around the world in conversations about race, justice and youth activism . It has been embraced by educators, librarians and young readers as an essential piece of fiction for understanding contemporary social issues. The book has sparked crucial classroom discussions and provided validation for young Black readers who saw their experiences reflected authentically in the book.

We stand in opposition to school districts and public library systems in the US where The Hate U Give has repeatedly been placed on banned books lists by those who would rather shield young people from uncomfortable truths than equip them to interrogate the world around them – part of a disturbing pattern that has seen record numbers of book bans in recent years. PEN America recorded 10,046 instances of book bans in the 2023-2024 school year. Of the most commonly banned books that year, 44% featured people and characters of colour and 39% featured LGBTQ+ people and characters. This is not just morally despicable, but makes publishing diverse books less commercially sustainable at a time when amplifying these voices is more important than ever. As our world is more diverse, so must be our creative output.
Is This Coming To the UK?
We are alarmed by the recent decision by a UK school to remove The Hate U Give from a reading list following one parent’s objections to its themes and portrayal of young Black people in America. This raises an urgent questions are we witnessing the beginning of a movement that would see diverse, challenging and necessary books removed from the reach of young British readers? And if a book like The Hate U Give – an award-winning, internationally celebrated novel that has been embraced by educators worldwide – can be challenged and removed from schools, and only drawn to our attention due to the efforts of one journalist, how many other books are being quietly removed from shelves without public scrutiny or debate?
We must be clear: what has happened in parts of the United States must not be allowed to take root in the UK. The systematic removal of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters, address racism, or challenge dominant narratives is not a protectton of young people, but a diminishment of their education and their right to see themselves – and others – in literature.
Our Commitment
Walker Books proudly publish books by authors from marginalized communities whose stories have been historically excluded from the literary canon. We publish books that don't shy away from the realities of racism, discrimination, violence, and injustice – all realities of the world we live in.
This work, this publishing, has never been more critical, The 7th annual Reflecting Realites Survey of Ethnic Representation within UK Children's Literature shows that representation of racially minoritized characters dropped from 30% in 2022 to just 17% in 2023 – the first annual decrease since reportng began. Even more concerning, the percentage of racially minoritized main characters fell by half, from 14% to just 7%. At a time when we should be building on hard-won progress, we are moving backwards.
In this context, efforts to remove books like The Hate U Give from a school become even more troubling. We are not defending one book – we are defending the fragile gains made in ensuring that all young readers can see themselves in literature, and that all young people have access to stories beyond their own experience. To remove these books is not to protect young people. It is to leave them less prepared, less informed, and less equipped to build a bestseller future.

We stand firmly behind The Hate U Give, behind Angie Thomas, and behind every author on our list and on every list who bring necessary stories into the light. We stand with educators, librarians and parents who trust young people with the truth. And we stand ready to resist any efforts to censor, diminish, or erase the voices that some would rather not hear.
In 2027, we will celebrate ten years since the publication of The Hate U Give, and we will continue to publish new fiction from Angie Thomas and bring her impactful,empathetic and important books to young readers.
Author Angie Thomas said “Book bans are disheartening for many reasons, but the most heartbreaking for me is the message it sends to young people who see themselves in these stories; young people whose realities should make us uncomfortable enough to spark change, not silence the voices that speak to them. Yet as disheartening as this is, I will continue to write books that serve as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors, even when the mirrors reflect uncomfortable truths.”
Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, CEO of Walker Books Group said "Walker Books Group stands proudly with Angie Thomas and all our creators and the content of their work. We firmly reject the banning of books and are concerned to see the latest developments in Weymouth, particularly given the extreme reality of book banning in the US. We must ask ourselves is this the beginning of something, and what comes next? As we are doing in the US, we will work relentlessly against this: children and young people everywhere deserve access to a diverse range of literature – not only to enjoy, but also to see themselves reflected and to appreciate the experiences of others. Reading broadens perspectives, nurtures empathy and is a vital to fostering a tolerant, critical-thinking culture in schools and communiites."
We call on the book trade, educators, parents and readers to remain vigilant in supporting diverse publishing, to speak out against censorship, and to ensure that UK schools and libraries remain places where all stories can be told and all voices can be heard.
The stakes could not be higher.
Walker Books 01 October 2025