PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out.
- PEN America condemned Utah for adding Thirteen Reasons Why to its no-read list, bringing the count of books banned statewide to 19. “Students are not being protected by this ‘no read list,’” said Madison Markham, Freedom to Read program coordinator. “They are instead being deprived of books that could help them understand their lives and the world around them.” Read the full statement here.
- PEN America criticized North Carolina State University for barring a Palestinian-American author from reading her memoir to students and local families. The university claimed that the reading would violate its policy on neutrality, which PEN America called “patently absurd.” “This censorship is the antithesis of what university education is supposed to be; and, ironically, it’s a direct violation of the policy in question, which is actually meant to protect the space for a multitude of voices and viewpoints on campus,” said Kristen Shahverdian, program director for Campus Free Speech. Read the full statement here.
- PEN America called for the immediate release of British journalist and commentator Sam Hamdi, who was detained by ICE at San Francisco International Airport. “Sami Hamdi’s detention is not the conduct of a confident democracy, but the hallmark of a government afraid of open debate,” said Tim Richardson, program director for Journalism and Disinformation. Read the full statement here.
- In advance of the UN Human Rights Council, PEN Belarus, PEN International, and PEN America made a joint submission detailing Belarusian authorities’ clampdown on free expression. Read the submission here, and read more about it here.
- Publishers Weekly quoted staff attorney Elly Brinkley in an article about Little v. Llano County and the fundamental First Amendment protections at stake in the case. Read the article here.
- PEN America called the cancellation of Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka’s visa “deeply troubling.” “The United States has historically been a haven for free speech and the open exchange of ideas,” said Hadar Harris, managing director of PEN America’s Washington office. “Sweeping and arbitrary changes made under the guise of ‘reform’ will directly undermine the free flow of ideas and likely make other cultural figures fearful of coming to the United States.” Read the full statement here.
- After reporting revealed that videos circulated by the Department of Homeland Security of government immigration operations were outdated or taken out of context, PEN America called for an end to deceptive practices that erode the public’s trust. “The administration should be honoring the public’s right to the truth, rather than peddling falsehoods,” said Tim Richardson, program director for Journalism and Disinformation. Read the full statement here.
- PEN America celebrated Amy Reid, Freedom to Learn interim program director, after the New College Alumni Association named her an “Honorary Alumna.” Read more here.
- Ready to join the fight for free expression? Participate in “Fall of Freedom,” a wave of resistance led by artists including visual artist Dread Scott, playwright Lynn Nottage, and novelist Hari Kunzru. Read more here, and get involved here.
- PEN America released a list of the most banned authors in the 2024–2025 school year. Check it out here.
- PEN America’s DREAMing Out Loud students shared their work and spoke out about the importance of amplifying immigrant voices at the New York City International Book Fair. Read the full article here.
Happy Halloween! If you want to be spooked, check out our new list of scary stories that have been hit with bans.
