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Closure of China’s Largest Independent Film Festival Alarming Sign for Free Expression
(New York, NY) – The announcement that China’s largest independent film festival will shut down is an alarming indication of the tightening chokehold the Chinese government has on arts… More
China’s Sentencing of University of Minnesota Student Violates Free Speech Guarantees
“It is obvious that China is attempting to send a signal with Luo Daiqing’s conviction—they are telling overseas Chinese citizens that there is no place where they are free… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Danez Smith
"The idea that there is only one kind of poet or one kind of poetry worth listening to is long dead." More
Writers, Academics, and Free Speech Advocates Call on Babson to Reinstate Professor
“Against a national backdrop in which punishments for speech are chilling open discourse, this draconian outcome risks compounding the constrictions on our public discourse." More
Letter: Writers, Academics, and Free Speech Advocates Call on Babson to Reinstate Professor
Dr. Stephen Spinelli Jr. Office of the President Babson College We, the undersigned, write to express our concern at the recent firing of Asheen Phansey by Babson College. As a group of… More
Hacking Bezos’ Phone Shows Lengths Saudis Will Go to Silence Criticism
“That the crown prince thought he could control the Washington Post's reporting by blackmailing its owner reveals the depth of his inability to understand how independent journalism works. It… More
Greenwald Charges Suggest Government Retaliation
"It is impossible to separate these charges against Glenn from his work as an investigative reporter." More
Not Surprised But Appalled: Readers and Writers Speak Out Against Missouri Book Banning Bill
Lawmakers in Missouri have proposed a bill that would legalize arbitrary book bans and potentially land librarians in prison for sharing banned books with children. The news quickly picked… More
PEN Out Loud Talks: Saidiya Hartman and Leslie Jamison
"I do believe that books can change the world, or at least, how we inhabit it." More
Fine Against Belarusian Writer “Violates Fundamental Right to Speak Freely”
*CORRECTION: An earlier version of this statement indicated that Arlou was arrested. He was summoned to court, fined, and charged, but not formally placed under arrest.*** (New York, NY) –… More