Dohle launches $500k fund with PEN America to combat censorship

Penguin Random House c.e.o. Markus Dohle is partnering with PEN America to launch a fund aimed at combatting book censorship.

The Dohle Book Defense Fund, which will launch to coincide with the literary organisation’s centenary, will be used to boost PEN America’s initiatives to educate the public, partner with local community groups to advocate against censorship, track and expose assaults on books and the cancellation of ideas playing out in classrooms, state legislatures and other arenas.

Dohle is promising to donate at least $500,000 to establish the new fund, following a long history he has had partnering with PEN America, having served on the organisation’s board of trustees since 2016, and serving as the board’s executive vice-president.

In recent months, the organisation has been at the forefront of fighting back against the flood of "politically-motivated" efforts to censor bookshelves in schools and issue gag orders against teachers to prevent discussion of Black history, race, gender, LGBTQ progress, and other issues. As part of its work, the organisation continually tracks the use of gag orders across the country, and will also soon be launching a report tracking individual book bans.

“We’re dealing with new challenges and bans every week, and these efforts are enmeshed in a larger political battle over the narratives that are accessible in this country,” said Suzanne Nossel, c.e.o. of PEN America. “Given his background, Markus is deeply attuned to the dark sides that lurk within a society and how things can turn around quickly. With his support, PEN America is poised to continue leading the fight to uphold and protect the role of books in society.”