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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Flora Garamvolgyi in Budapest

Hungarian bookseller wraps LGBTQ+ books in plastic to stop people reading them

Books wrapped in plastic in a Hungarian bookstore
Among the books wrapped in plastic is Micol Ostow’s Riverdale, which has been turned into a Netflix show. Photograph: Flora Garamvolgyi

Hungary’s largest bookseller has started wrapping books that feature LGBTQ+ characters in plastic to prevent customers from opening them in stores after it was taken over by a private foundation with close ties to Viktor Orbán.

Libri, which is also the country’s largest publisher, said in an email that the packaging was a requirement from the Hungarian consumer protection authority to follow the controversial “child protection” law that came into force in 2021.

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