The American author Stephen King’s horror novel “It” has been pulled from sale at Russian bookstores and on online marketplaces like Ozon and Wildberries, according to state media.
Local media previously reported that “It” had disappeared from store shelves in the Novosibirsk region. “Our boss said that there had been an order to remove King’s novel and that it wouldn’t be sold anymore,” one bookstore employee told the outlet Infopro54.
The Telegram channel Siberian Express noted on Thursday that while the book’s Russian-language version had appeared from Russian e-commerce sites, the English-language original was still available.
The reasons for the book’s removal are unclear. Representatives of the online vendors Wildberries and Russ told state media that they “strictly comply” with Russian law and do not allow the sale of “products prohibited in the Russian Federation, as well as those violating platform rules.” However, they did not specify how “It” allegedly breaks the law.
Social media users commenting on the book’s disappearance from stores noted that it does “contain mentions of non-traditional sexual orientation,” as defined by the Russian authorities.
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