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Life Prison Sentence for Turkish Cultural Rights Activist Osman Kavala is Upheld
Turkish court’s decision upholding the life sentence against Osman Kavala illustrates the totality of the government’s crackdown on free expression and the breakdown of rule of law. Life behind… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of September 25
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. More
PEN America Celebrates Translators for Bridging Divisions Through Words
Translators are indispensable allies in our quest to cultivate communication among diverse peoples and culture. The help us develop a collective vision of a world anchored in human rights.… More
Hollywood Artists Join Writers for Banned Books Week Day of Action Oct. 7
(NEW YORK)—More than 20 actors, writers, and artists are joining together to spread the word about book bans by creating videos about their favorite banned books, a project spearheaded… More
Amid Crisis of School Book Bans, Banned Books Week Arrives Oct. 1 with Urgency to Defend the Freedom to Read
LINK to the PEN America Banned Books Week actions and events (NEW YORK)— With school book bans surging 33 percent over the past school year, this year’s Banned Books Week Oct.… More
Support for Congressional Resolutions Condemning Book Bans and Educational Censorship
(Washington) – As the movement to ban books and censor classrooms continues to undermine free speech and academic freedom across our nation’s public schools, Representative Jamie Raskin on Wednesday… More
PEN America Proudly Supports Introduction of Congressional Resolutions Condemning Book Bans and Educational Censorship
PEN America endorsed the resolution and praised the lawmakers’ commitment to preserving free expression in classrooms and libraries. More
PEN America Celebrates Agreement Between Writers and Film-TV Industry
As champions of a thriving culture and open expression, we view the work of screen and television writers as a public good that nurtures, inspires, deepens understandings, and unleashes empathy. We… More
Turkish government must stop decades-long prosecution of Pınar Selek, now facing life in prison
PEN America urges the Turkish government to dismiss all charges against renowned sociologist and writer, Pınar Selek, ahead of her hearing at the Istanbul Criminal Court. More
Sample Script About Book Bans for School Board Meetings
Here is a sample script for anyone who wants to speak at a school board meeting against book bans and challenges to books. If you can't make it in… More