Quote:
Originally Posted by eschwartz
So... New Zealand has state-mandated filters?
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I take your post has the meaning that it can, of course, just be downloaded but for the sake of clarity the answer is that it does not have state mandated filters. However, using an NZ IP address I cannot see the book on either of Amazon or Kobo (but other Ted Dawes books are listed) so it may be they are not serving the book to NZ IPs? (EDIT#2 Note: am referring to eBooks, can see paperback on Amazon with NZ IP and even look inside it
, dunno if they would ship it tho'
)
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Moving on with some general comment that is my take on the situation.
NZ does not have a habit of banning things, in fact quite the opposite. This situation with this book is just part of an ongoing battle between Family First NZ and the book's classification (Family First is an activist conservative Christian Group regarded by many as being puritanical busybodies; they are strongly anti gay and the book covers gay behaviour in teens as well as bullying, etc.). It should be noted that the book has not been banned but is just subject to an interim restriction order on sale and sharing while part of this game plays out.
In NZ books, films, etc. are classified by the Classification Office but over arching this members of the community can request a review of its decisions by the Film and Literature Board of Review, which is made up of Gov't appointed relevantly qualified members nominated by the public.
This prize winning book ("The Book of the Year" and the "Young Adult Fiction" winner in the 2013 NZ Childrens' book awards) was originally classified as unrestricted (with warnings) by the Classification Office, but as a result of an application to the Board of Review by Family First it was reclassified to R14. This reclassification was contrary to the beliefs of the Library community (including school libraries) and, as far as I can see, also of most involved with childrens' literature.
Apart from the general belief that the book depicted life as it was, and so did not warrant the removal of the unrestricted classification, it was a concern that the R14 classification was limiting the book's availability to those 14 years and over entitled to read it (it could not go on open library shelves, nor be displayed in shops as they only have R18 restriction shelves) and because while the book also speaks to under 14 year old teens they were denied access to it. So the Auckland Public Library (with, as I understand it, the support of the Library community and others) made an application to the Review Board for the book to be reclassified again and it was just recently reclassified to unrestricted again (as it originally was).
So back to the Review Board go Family First to get that overturned again and the President of the Review Board placed, at the request of Family First, the current interim restriction order on it, as he can do until a full hearing of the Board if he thinks it is in the public interest to do so (as an aside, his known personal beliefs are being questioned as to whether they influenced his decision).
As far as I know there have been some moves organising an application (yet another one) to the Review Board to get the interim restriction removed but that these are generally leading to the conclusion that as the Review Board is going to have to meet very soon and the book likely to be reclassified back to unrestricted, it can just be left to run its course.
As a final comment I think it is important to understand that this is not a banning of books adventure (also, the interim restriction means that one can still possess it) but rather that it is just a play by an activist group taking advantage of the law such that the classification can be revisited. As far as I am aware even Family First do not overtly claim to want the book banned as they have stated that they were happy with the recently overturned R14 classification. There are other NZ teen books of similar content, "Into the River" as a prize winning book is likely just being picked on first by them in the hope that a precedent will flow into reclassifying these others. Instead it is resulting in much interest in many now wanting to get and read the book in order to assess it for themselves.