BBDO Nordics and the Dawit Isaak Library in Sweden have created a powerful talking point on the subject of censorship with an edition of George Orwell’s novel, 1984, which is bound shut on both sides. The powerful protest, which marked Banned Books Week 2025 binds Orwell’s classic novel about censorship on both long edges. In doing so, the book is rendered unreadable, despite having all the chapters in print inside; therefore, creating a unique commentary on censorship, reflective of Orwell’s writing.
It follows in the footsteps of other similar protests including a special ‘unburnable’ copy of The Handmaid’s Tale created in 2022 by Penguin Random House which was auctioned to raise money for PEN America, which champions the freedom of expression in literature. The latest project from Sweden marks the beginning of The Bound Books Project which aims to use design as a protest tool, creating striking literary pieces that open conversations about censorship around the world.
“We wanted to create a symbol that would be integral to the library’s fight against censorship. We crafted the book to induce anxiety and anger first, followed by action – to speak out and read more,” says Karan Nair, copywriter at BBDO Nordics.
This exclusive edition of 1984 has been received by authors including Stephen King, and Nobel laureate Herta Müller. The library has also made it available to be borrowed by the 1,000+ libraries and bookshops participating in Banned Books Week Sweden, inviting them to start their own conversations about censorship, banning books, and the freedom to read.
“When a book is banned, it becomes a closed world. By sealing one of the most influential works of literature ever written, we want to make censorship impossible to ignore,” adds Jasmina Dizdarevic Cordero at the Dawit Isaak Library.
