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PEN America Letter to Hinds County (MS) School District
To the Officials of the Hinds County School District, We write from PEN America, the literary and free expression human rights organization, to register alarm over your recent decision to… More
Journalists and Members of Congress Join 3/14 Conversation About Saving Local News
Nadine Farid Johnson, PEN America’s Washington director, said: “The importance of local journalism cannot be overstated. Local news outlets have historically functioned as vital governmental watchdogs. They hold elected… More
‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Inserts “Heavy Hand” of Lawmakers Into Classroom Lessons
PEN America issued the following statement upon passage of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill, from CEO Suzanne Nossel: "Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill amounts to a government diktat policing the… More
‘Alarming’ Suspension of Florida Student for Organizing Rally Against ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
This comes as Florida moves to ban discussions of LGBTQ+ identities in schools, and books about LGBTQ+ lives are being removed from Florida's school library shelves. Petocz's efforts to… More
Shutdown of Independent Media Leaves Kremlin in Control of War Message at Home
“The years-long effort by the Kremlin to replace facts with propaganda, deny its citizens access to truthful information, and repress critiques and organized opposition is culminating with this sweeping,… More
Ukraine Writers Speak Out on Their New Lives at War
By Suzanne Trimel (New York, N.Y.)-- During an online conversation from western Ukraine on March 3, PEN Ukraine President Andrei Kurkov, the novelist and screenwriter, shared a bleak prediction about… More
Rights Groups to Iran: Drop charges against human rights activist Hossein Ronaghi
PEN America joins human rights groups in calling on Iranian authorities to drop charges against writer-activist Hossein Ronaghi. More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Elise Levine
We will always need new stories period—fresh narratives by which to identify the multiple and unique ways of living in an always-changing world. More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Elina Kulikova
One of the main principles in my artistic practice is to always attempt to create an open space where spectators can be themselves, think, and feel whatever they wish… More
From Titans to Emerging Voices, 2022 Literary Awards Celebrate Remarkable Writing
PEN America Literary Awards returned as a vibrant live event—the first in-person awards ceremony since March 2020—celebrating the resilience of the literary and artistic communities across two years of… More