The Taliban Takeover Is Forcing Afghans to Delete Their Photos and Posts—It’s a Free Expression Tragedy
Photos and social media posts in Afghanistan are being used against individuals as the Taliban takes over. Digital platforms have a responsibility to prevent digital cultural erasure. More
The PEN Pod: Navigating the Debacle in Afghanistan with Ayad Akhtar and George Packer
“Everyone who essentially used the opportunity of the last two decades to try to build a decent, better society for themselves and for Afghanistan are now under threat.” More
‘It was like watching someone take their last breaths,’ says Afghan American Writer Nadia Hashimi
Afghan American author Nadia Hashimi reflects on the fall of Afghanistan, the future of women’s rights in the country, and how readers and writers can support one another. More
A Texas Book Ban is an Attack on the Freedom to Learn
Months after the Leander Independent School District banned books and graphic novels from its secondary school curriculum, the district released decisions on an additional set of titles. More
The PEN Pod: On PEN Belarus, Book Bans, and Vaccine Misinformation with Suzanne Nossel
“Book bans are alive and well, and that they move with the culture. They tend to crop up as a battleground in connection with culture wars.” More
The PEN Pod: The Path Forward with Theodore Johnson
“I don’t know that we can ever erase [structural racism] completely. But we can certainly reduce its impact. . . and I think national solidarity is our best hope… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Ricardo Wilson
“People come to fiction for so many reasons that I only really feel qualified to answer for myself. I come to a practice of reading for the same reason… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Katie Kitamura
“I see the imprint of the author in the book in other ways that are to me more interesting and intimate: in the movement of their mind, in the… More
The PEN Pod: Queering an Epic Tale with DREAMing Out Loud’s Arjun Dhawan
“In terms of migrant literature, the migrant voice, there’s something bubbling that needs to be said, that needs to be heard, that’s unbiased. A story that you’ve never heard.” More
The PEN Pod: On Platforms, Policing, and Protests with Suzanne Nossel
“As a defender of free speech, I believe those protections shouldn’t stop at the locker room door, and that athletes should be entitled to voice their opinions.” More