2025 PEN America Literary Gala
Thursday, May 15, 2025 | 6:00 PM
Cocktail Reception | Awards and Dinner | Afterparty to follow
American Museum 0f Natural History | 200 Central Park West NYC
The annual PEN America Literary Gala is a highlight of the New York literary and social calendars, with over 700 guests and an exceptional group of leading writers who sit among them as Literary Hosts. Every year, it is an inspiring, exhilarating and moving event; as we honor those who embody PEN America’s mission to celebrate, champion and defend freedom of expression. The proceeds from this dinner are crucial to PEN America’s dynamic cultural programming and critical advocacy work.
2025 Honorees
Additional honorees and special guests to be announced.
Gala Co-Chairs
Colette Bennett
Dinaw Mengestu
Jodi Picoult
Honorary Co-Chairs
Markus Dohle • Anya Salama
Gala Committee
Whitney Arcaro • Pamela and Peter Barbey • Lawrence B. and Elyse Benenson • Laura Bickford and Stephen Graham• Deirdre Finney Boylan and Jennifer Finney Boylan • Roxanne Donovan • Patricia Duff • Sheree and Jerry Friedman • Henry Louis Gates, Jr. •Tom Healy and Fred P. Hochberg • Elizabeth Hemmerdinger • Tracy Higgins • Beth Hutchens • Linda Johnson and Bruce Ratner • Zachary Karabell • Patricia Fili-Krushel and Kenneth Krushel • Sandra Leong • Jay McInerney • Ken Miller and Lybess Sweezy • Michael Pietsch • Keri and Marvin Putnam • Alix L.L. Ritchie • Jan Shaw • Andrew Solomon and John Habich Solomon • Suzy and Sadek Wahba • Jamie Wolf
(in formation)
2025 Sponsors
Award Underwriters
Audible, Inc.
Peter and Pamela Barbey
Lawrence and Elyse Benenson
Gold
Macmillan Publishers
Penguin Random House
Leadership
Roxanne Donovan and Tom Scarangello • Patricia Fili-Krushel, Kenneth Krushel, Lybess Sweezy and Ken Miller • Tom Healy and Fred P. Hochberg • Elizabeth Hemmerdinger and Alix L.L. Ritchie • Anya and Albert Salama • Andrew Solomon and John Habich Solomon
Benefactor
Anonymous • Arnold & Porter • Willow Bay and Robert A. Iger • Laura Bickford and Stephen Graham • Colette and Daniel Bennett • Bloomsbury • Command Companies • Dow Jones • Karin and Markus Dohle • Patricia Duff and Richard D. Cohen • Entangled Publishing • Sheree and Jerry Friedman • Hachette Book Group • Tracy Higgins and James Leitner • Linda Johnson and Bruce Ratner • Zachary Karabell • Sandra Leong • Midland Paper • Keri and Marvin Putnam • Anne and Jay McInerney • The Open Society Foundations • Scholastic • Suzy and Sadek Wahba • Warner Bros. Discovery • Writers House • Jon Yaged and Catherine Daly
Patrons
Domtar • Agnes Gund • Horizon Paper • Hudson, an Avolta Company • Midland Paper • Richard Plepler and EDEN Productions • Sentinel Solutions • WME
Listing as of March 18, 2025
Support the Gala
For more information, please call 646-989-3885, or email PENgala@pen.org.
Learn more about our annual Literary Gala and see recaps from prior years’ celebrations.