© 2026 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace St.
Buffalo, NY 14202

Toronto Address:
130 Queens Quay E.
Suite 903
Toronto, ON M5A 0P6


Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
BTPM NPR Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Differing shades of blue wavering throughout the image
Give Now
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Artist and activist Ai Weiwei talks 'On Censorship' essay

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom
Published July 3, 2026 at 12:05 PM EDT
The cover of "On Censorship" and author Ai Weiwei. (Courtesy of Thames & Hudson and Gao Yuan)
Courtesy of Thames & Hudson and Gao Yuan
The cover of "On Censorship" and author Ai Weiwei. (Courtesy of Thames & Hudson and Gao Yuan)

Acclaimed artist and activist Ai Weiwei has often encountered censorship and surveillance throughout his career. Earlier this year, he published an extended essay “On Censorship.”

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong met with Weiwei at NPR’s New York studios to talk about the book.

Book excerpt: ‘On Censorship’

By Ai Weiwei

Excerpted from “On Censorship” by Ai Weiwei © 2026 Thames & Hudson Ltd, London Text and illustrations © 2026 Ai Weiwei Reprinted by permission of Thames & Hudson Inc.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR
Here & Now Newsroom