Visit Seattle Tackles Book Banning in Latest #Bookmarked Films

Visit Seattle, a non-profit marketing organisation that promotes tourism and travel, will focus on banned books by local authors for the latest three #SeattleBookmarked videos, as part of its programming on VISITSEATTLE.tv showcasing local culture such as music, film, art, and literary events, to give people new reasons to visit. The series is created by advertising agency PB& and produced by Atlantic Re:think. The videos will also stream live here.

Each short-form episode comes to life through beautifully intercut Seattle footage and a reading by a notable Seattleite. The words of the banned books by local authors Jewell Parker Rhodes (Ghost Boys), Shawn David Hutchinson (Brave Face), and Jonathan Eviason (Lawn Boy) are spoken by local luminaries: writer/LGBTQ+ activist Dan Savage, actor Jeremy Rudd, and artist/activist Angelina Villalobos. “In Seattle, your story matters,” is the tag.

The three episodes will air weekly beginning September 3th, leading up to Banned Books Week (September 22-28th). Visit Seattle will also conduct a September 20th session at The Atlantic Festival on recent book bans and the freedom of expression. The Atlantic will also distribute the video series through its owned media channels including social and its website.

In 2023, the American Library Association reported a record-breaking number of attempts to ban books, most of which were written by or about members of the LGBTQ+ community and people of colour. Seattle is a Unesco City of Literature; one that prides itself on embracing intellectual freedom and celebrating diverse voices rather than censoring them. 

This was an opportunity to reinforce Seattle’s heritage as one of the most welcoming cities and tap into a group of travellers PB& calls Advenculturists. These influential travellers gravitate to less common destinations, are drawn to intellectually-stimulating things, and enjoy knowing a little about a lot vs. a lot about a little. They also have a voracious love of literature: They’re 200% more likely to be in book clubs and 40% more likely to read books at least twice a week.

“Books and travel transport people to unfamiliar places and introduce us to new cultures and ideas,” added Brit Fero, founder at PB&. "As such, the freedom to travel and freedom of expression go hand in hand. Seattle is a city that appreciates that.”  

Seattle is one of only three US cities that have opened their library collections to all regions in the country so that everyone can access banned books.