Welcome to the COPLACDigital website for the censorship of The Golden Compass
This website was created for exploring the definition of censorship, as well as uncovering details about a case of censorship involving The Golden Compass (also published as Northern Lights) by Philip Pullman. The specific case occurred at Halton Catholic School District in 2007 in Ontario, Canada. To summarize, the initial complaint came from a concerned parent. Interestingly, the complaint focused on Pullman’s anti-Catholic statements, not so much the actual content of the novel. A committee was established to review the material and recommended that the book remain in circulation. However, the school board voted to remove the book from the shelves. Now, The Golden Compass is only available to students upon special request.
We will investigate some complex topics including what role religious beliefs should play in education. It is the intention of the authors to present both sides of the argument clearly and honestly, but also make conclusions about the manner in which the case was handled. We encourage you, the reader, to come up with your own solution to the complaints about the text as if you were a member of the school board. For your convenience, we have provided multiple ways to navigate the site including the search bar at the top of the page, as well as the hyperlinked book covers below in the recommended viewing order. We hope you enjoy the site, happy reading!
When you are finished browsing our site, please take the poll below.
The Golden Compass Theme Song by Alexandre Desplat
