Author and journalist Todd Babiak celebrates reading and writing at the Auburn.

Canada is seen as a successful democracy, with wide-ranging freedoms and a lack of censorship. That’s almost true.

Every year, Freedom to Read Week celebrates the power of words and reminds us that we should never let our guard down in protecting the right of free expression. As part of the festivities this year, Wordfest and the Writers Guild of Alberta are hosting an evening with Todd Babiak, author, journalist and former board member of PEN Canada.

“I know we like to think that this is an issue for China and Turkey and Iraq, but not for us. The fact is that it is an issue for us,” says Babiak.

The timing of celebrating free expression is a little too perfect this year, with the crackdown going on one province over, all in the name of international sports. Rules during the Olympics have been changed — laws against negative signs in windows, and Cultural Olympiad regulations that read like they were written by Mao.

“It’s not only governments anymore, it’s brands that have to be protected. It’s just the way the legal system works now — you protect your brand at all costs,” says Babiak. “That brand could be Canada, that brand could be Alberta, or Calgary, or Edmonton, whatever it is, or the Olympics. If you get in the way of it now and you start to dilute the brand, you’re the enemy or, in this case, you’re a criminal.”

“I think we’re entering a new stage of what censorship and freedom of expression really mean.”

Babiak, a former columnist for the Edmonton Journal who is currently living in France, will be reading from his new novel, Toby: A Man. It tells the story of an etiquette coach, living the high life with a TV show, fancy car and condo. After an on-air meltdown, he loses everything and ends up in his parents’ basement.

Babiak, however, like many of us, doesn’t enjoy listening to an author drone on for 20 minutes. He’ll also be dealing with the themes of censorship and freedom of expression and might even get an audience member or two involved.

“There’s a real danger in events like this that… the sincerity of the theme will make it dour and no fun. Freedom to Read Week should be just that — you should be celebrating the freedom to read, to write anything you like, to criticize, to agitate, to engage with your community, to make art however you might want to do that.”