In celebration of Banned Books Week (Sept. 25-Oct. 1), the Central Arkansas Library System announced a writing contest for Pulaski and Perry county residents based on “A Thousand and One Nights” (or, “Arabian Knights”), a collection of South Asian and Middle Eastern tales collected between the 8th and 13th centuries that’s prompted debates over freedom of speech as recently as 2010, when a group in Egypt, Lawyers Without Restrictions, called for the book to be banned based on its eroticism.

The contest is open to residents of Perry and Pulaski counties, and stories must contain either Sindbad the Sailor or Scheherazad, the storyteller of legend who kept herself alive by relating the 1,001 tales to which the title alludes. The winning story will win a grand prize of $300, and three $100 Honorable Mention prizes will be awarded. 

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For more details, visit cals.org.

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