Wikipedia:GLAM/Humanists UK/Events/Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week Wikithon

Key information
Where?	Online, everywhere!
When?	Sunday 27 September 13.00 - 17.00
Contact	user:Madeleineog / madeleine@humanists.uk
Cost	Free
Dashboard	Banned Books Week

Rights of Man by Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine

About the event

In honour of Banned Books Week, this Wikithon will focus on improving the representation of humanists, atheists, and secularists in the history of literary and press freedom.

Drawing on Humanists UK’s Humanist Heritage project, we will create, edit, and add to Wikipedia entries relating to press freedom, highlighting the contributions of humanists and freethinkers. Learn more about the fascinating history of campaigns for press freedom whilst developing your digital skills and learning how to edit Wikipedia.

Both beginners and more experienced editors are welcome to join in.

Useful sources

Creative Commons Search

The Internet Archive

HathiTrust Digital Library

Google Books

LSE Digital Library

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Conway Hall Humanist Library Pamphlet Collection

Articles to create or improve

Article	Relevance	Sources
Susannah Wright	Tried for blasphemous libel after selling pamphlets in the shop of Richard Carlile. Gave an impassioned speech in her own defence.	Senate House Blog, 'She Champion of Impiety' by Christian Parolin, Report of the Trial of Mrs Susannah Wright, 1822
Austin Holyoake	A printer and the brother of George Jacob Holyoake. Assisted Bessie Parkes and Emily Faithfull, of the Society for Promoting the Employment of Women, in proving that printing could be a suitable occupation for women.	Austin Holyoake: ODNB, A Biographical Dictionary of Freethinkers of All Ages and Nations, The London Heretics, Freethought in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth
Fleet Street House	The printing premises of The Reasoner and National Reformer	The History of the Fleet Street House: A Report of 16 Years, Report of the Fleet Street House, Texts mentioning Fleet Street House at the Internet Archive, Autobiographical Sketches by Annie Besant
Anti-Persecution Union	Group formed by George Jacob Holyoake and Emma Martin (socialist) to defend freedom of thought, press, and discussion	Unfettered Investigation: The Secularist Press and the Creation of Audience in Victorian England by David Nash, Spiked - A Blasphemy Trial for Today
Emma Martin (socialist)	Co-founder with George Jacob Holyoake of the Anti-Persecution Union and outspoken socialist and secularist	Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Heroines of Freethought, Eve and the New Jerusalem (can be borrowed), God's Gifts and Man's Duties by Emma Martin, Infidel Deathbeds, Women Without Superstition, Emma Martin on Prayer, The Death of Emma Martin - The Reasoner
Blasphemy Law in Northern Ireland	Although abolished in England and Wales, blasphemous libel remains an offence under the common law of Northern Ireland.	Blasphemous libel, Campaign to Get Rid of NI Blasphemy Laws, Humanists UK: Repealing Blasphemy Laws, Campaign to repeal Northern Ireland 'archaic' blasphemy laws
Northern Ireland Humanists	A section of Humanists UK, currently unrepresented on Wikipedia.	Northern Ireland Humanists, Humanist weddings: Non-religious weddings rise in Northern Ireland, Humanists take on pastoral care role for atheists in Northern Ireland prison, Humanists launch Northern Ireland’s first billboards advertising legal same-sex marriages, Congratulations! The First Legally Recognised Humanist Marriages In Northern Ireland Took Place This Weekend

Articles to improve

Article	Relevance
Thomas Aikenhead	The last person in Great Britain to be executed for blasphemy
Peter Annet	An early freethinker
Thomas Paine	'My country is the world and my religion is to do good'
William Johnson Fox	A champion of religious and press freedom, important in the history of South Place Ethical Society
Richard Carlile	Along with many others, prosecuted and imprisoned on charges of blasphemous libel
Collet Dobson Collet	Radical, freethinker, and campaigner against newspaper taxation
Henry Hetherington	A devoted champion of the free press
Percy Bysshe Shelley	Expelled from university for an atheist pamphlet
Eliza Sharples	An oft forgotten but fearless freethought lecturer and editor
Edward Truelove	Radical publisher and humanist
Matilda Roalfe	Prosecuted for selling blasphemous literature; a vigorous defender of her right to do so
Charles Southwell	Editor and publisher
George Jacob Holyoake	Arrested in 1842 for suggesting the deity be put on half pay
Charles Bradlaugh	Fought for the right to affirm, rather than swear a religious oath in Parliament and court
Charles Watts (secularist)	Prominent freethought lecturer, writer, and publisher
Annie Besant	Prosecuted alongside Charles Bradlaugh for publishing The Fruits of Philosophy, advocating birth control
Charles Albert Watts	Founder of journal Watts's Literary Guide, which became the New Humanist magazine
John William Gott	The last person in Britain to be imprisoned for blasphemy
Margaret Knight (psychologist)	Noted for a series of broadcasts advocating education free of religious influence
Francis Williams, Baron Francis-Williams	Editor, author, and Controller of Press Censorship and News at the Ministry of Information
James Kirkup	Prosecuted alongside the editors of Gay News for publishing his poem 'The Love that Dares to Speak its Name'
Ephraim Chambers	Encyclopedist whose self-penned epitaph declared him 'a Man / Who thinks himself bound to all Offices of Humanity'
John Baskerville	Printer who proclaimed 'a Hearty Contempt for all Superstition'
Whitehouse v Lemon	The court case surrounding Kirkup's poem 'The Love that Dares to Speak its Name'
LGBT Humanists UK	Founded as the Gay Humanist Group in response to the above prosecution of Gay News for blasphemous libel
Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury	A former patron of Humanists UK, involved in the abolition of blasphemous libel laws
Defamation of religion and the United Nations	The history of defining the 'defamation of religion' as a human rights violation
Blasphemous libel	The past and present of blasphemous libel as a criminal offence

Results

Headline stats from the Outreach Dashboard: 29 Articles Edited, 71 Total Edits, 2.87K Words Added, 20 References Added, and 1.71K Article Views over the following three days.

Articles improved

• Susannah Wright
• Austin Holyoake
• Emma Martin (socialist)
• Henry Hetherington
• Edward Truelove
• Matilda Roalfe
• The Freewoman

Participants

• User:Etstoo
• User:Livy 303
• User:Michellehoughwiki
• User:Oilmillstudios
• User:Katharineamy
• User:PoppaeRollo
• User:Rachelridealgh1
• User:NicZuppardi
• User:Fionaeashley
• User:HeritageRLR
• User:OnlyColbert