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China Shuts Down Murong Xuecun’s Microblogging Accounts
A wave of deletions of popular online commentators hits writer Murong Xuecun; Murong hits back in a powerful Guardian essay. More
Made to Breathe
In regard to the gods, / their secrets, who knew human love / wanted darkness. // Signs were many. Years facing / the gods led to scorn. Nothing is.… More
Fadwa Touqan Will Do the Tango No More
"If your love has died / Do not grieve / Laugh at love / And deceive with laughter / An unyielding sorrow." To be honest, we had to control… More
Snail’s House
The formative experience of reading cannot be ignored. We are not just the product of a family or of a society, of a religion or of an ethnicity, of… More
I Shall Persevere! A Letter from Kality Prison
After an Ethiopian court upheld Eskinder Nega's 18-year prison sentence, the journalist smuggled a letter out of prison. More
The Invisible Symposium
It is useful to remember that when you ride the subway, turn on the lights, brush your teeth, switch on your computer, dispose of your selected garbage, watch the… More
Ayşe Berktay’s Acceptance Remarks
Dear esteemed members of PEN American Center, dear guests,I very much wish I could be with you in person. It was not possible but I send to you my… More
Dispatch from South Africa: What’s Wrong with the Secrecy Bill?
We reached out to veteran journalist and Vice President of South African PEN Ray Louw to learn how the Secrecy Bill in South Africa is still a threat to… More
Leap the Firewall
With the release of PEN International's China Report, PEN American Center is calling on its supporters and followers to help spread the word via social media. More
The Garbage Dump and Organized Crime
I passed up an invitation to attend the Nobel ceremony in Norway, heading home instead, because I’m accustomed, in a way, to being unfree: I’m a sewer rat, scurrying… More
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