St John’s Sixth Formers Open The Marlborough Lit Fest!
Opening Night Success
On the 25th of September, Marlborough Literature Festival opened with our sixth formers debating this contentious topic:
“Is it ever morally right to censor literature?”
Why This Topic Matters Now
The focus of this year’s debate felt poignant. Young people are more freely able to access taboo texts online, together with the rise of social media and the proliferation of false news, it feels that critical thinking skills are more crucial than ever.
Opening Statements and Crucial Arguments
The debate began with our students outlining their central arguments. From the very first moments, our students communicated with the impressive eloquence that has become synonymous with this event.
After this, Students bounced questions between them before the microphone was passed to members of the audience who pitched in on the discussion. Students’ responses and rebuttals to the questions they were posed were sensitive and considered. They showing no shortage of the critical-thinking skills they’d all jointly asserted the importance of.
Indeed, many of our students’ arguments foregrounded the importance of young people’s critical thinking and the preparedness it gives them to engage with controversial texts such as:
- Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ – Censored in our classrooms
- Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ – banned by governments across the globe.
Our students sharply deliberated texts which are perhaps more understandably seen as illicit (Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’ for example), trashing out the ethics of limiting access to such texts.
The Verdict
The thorough arguments from both sides we met with a standing ovation. However, the overall consensus was: it is morally wrong to censor literature.
Insights
Sophie said:
“The LitFest Debate was a resounding success, especially with the theme of censorship resonating powerfully with the audience, and I greatly enjoyed taking part in it. I feel that both teams performed exceptionally and am grateful for all the positive feedback the debate has received!”
Whilst Erin added:
“The debate raised some fascinating moral tensions between protecting society and promoting freedom of expression. I found it interesting how both sides used examples of controversial books to illustrate whether harm or understanding comes from exposure to difficult ideas. It was a great experience, not only to practice public speaking but to display each of our own individual interpretations of the topic.”
Miss Sankey, Literacy Lead, proudly said:
“With every year of this event, I am astonished by our students’ skills as orators. They were determinedly thoughtful and respectful whilst holding their own with confidence and conviction. No matter what side of this debate you come down on, one thing is undeniable: these sixth formers have bright futures ahead of them!”
Congratulations St John’s on such an outstanding performance in the public arena!