In Russia, Stephen King's novel It is banned: reasons named

Russia has banned the sale of the cult novel by Stephen King 'It'

In Russia, the sale of the cult novel by American writer Stephen King 'It' has been removed from the market. The reason was the ban on LGBT propaganda, which the authorities applied to this book, as well as to the writer's own stance regarding the war in Ukraine. This was reported by 'Glavkom' citing Russian media.

Wildberries and Russ companies stated that 'It' could be banned in Russia. Earlier, local media reported the removal of the book from sale in accordance with the law prohibiting LGBT propaganda.

List of banned books

In February 2024, journalist Oleksandr Plyushchov published a list of 252 books that were subject to the ban on LGBT propaganda and were to be removed from sale. The list also included works by other famous writers. This caused outrage among literature lovers.

Writer's position

After the start of the war in Ukraine, Stephen King expressed his opinion and condemned Russia, which led to the cessation of cooperation with the publishing house that had a contract for his books. However, the rights to the author's works were extended for several more years. The last publication in Russia was the novel 'Billy Summers' about a hired killer.

The novel 'It,' published in 1986, became one of King's most famous works and has been adapted multiple times. It is a story about seven friends who decided to confront a monster that can take any form based on their fears.

Banned books in Russia

The head of the Zaporizhzhia Organization of Military Artists noted that Russia bans publications about Ukrainian history and any books that tell the truth about Ukraine's independence.

In Russia, the sale of the book 'It' has been banned due to its inclusion in the list of works that fall under the ban on LGBT propaganda and because of the author's position on events in Ukraine. Currently, this decision is causing mixed reactions among both fans of the writer and literature supporters in general.