Books are banned for a variety of reasons. For example, one reason is to “protect” the public from their contents. The threats that are cited to justify the bans may be abstract (e.g., “obscenity”) or more concrete (e.g., “public safety”).

For example, various scriptures have been banned (and sometimes burned) at several points in history. For example, the Bible, the Qur’an, and other religious scriptures have all been subjected to censorship and have been banned by various governments. Similarly, books based on the scriptures have also been banned, such as Leo Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of God Is Within You, which was banned in Russia for being anti-establishment. Non-religious books deemed critical of the state or its interests are another common target for banning.^[1]

Books are frequently banned as “obscene” or “indecent” when they are perceived to be a threat to “public morals”. Sexual content – especially in forms which are taboo in a given society – is the most common basis for such bans. In modern societies it is typical for material with sexual content to be made unavailable to children, without banning it altogether for adults, but certain kinds of content may receive a complete ban.

Books that present criminal matters have also been subjected to censorship, usually on the grounds that they either incite or assist in committing crimes. Small-press titles that have become infamous by being banned include The Anarchist Cookbook and Hit Man.

Wiki A List of African Writers by Country