The Censor
By John Gardner
It is the late 1960s and David Askelon, an American writer, has written a best-seller – a book that is popular for its graphic and violent sexual scenes. And now an English publisher has paid a great deal to publish in the UK. But they have decided they want to heavily censor the book. Looking of the list of changes, Askelon puts his foot down. The whole point of his novel was to portray the world realistically, in all its gritty, sordid and disturbing glory. He manages to persuade the publishers that the book needs to stay as it is, but how will the ‘powers that be’ react? Could he – or his publishers – face a fine, or even prosecution? As the publication date looms ever nearer he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of publicity – not all of it good… How will the English public react to the novel? Will it receive critical acclaim – or should he have listened to The Censor?
