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Patrick J. Zhou | 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize Winner
I’m a firm believer that to get less and fewer hollow answers, we need to ask better questions. Of ourselves and others. Be gracious and curious. More
In Censoring Poet, Egyptian Government Bending Every Rule to Silence a Song
Galal El-Behairy’s ordeal over the past five years is a testament both to his strength and the Egyptian government’s ultimate weakness. More
Faire Holliday | 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize Winner
I think many of the gray areas that we find ourselves in come from the disconnect between how we think we’re living and how we actually are. More
PEN America: Elon Musk Trying to Silence Critics, with Threat to Sue Anti-Defamation League
Kate Ruane, Sy Syms director, U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America, said: “Self-appointed ‘free speech-defender', Elon Musk, is seeking to silence one of his strongest and most effective… More
With Massive Book Banning in Prisons, PEN America Presents “Return to Sender: Prison as Censorship,” a NYC Exhibition Sept. 14-Oct. 28
Moira Marquis, an advocate in PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing program, said: “More books are banned in prisons than anywhere else in the country and censorship is rising… More
Anti-Censorship Groups: Florida Attorney General Filing Says ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Doesn’t Apply to School Libraries
A group of free expression and anti-censorship groups sent a letter to schools across Florida today, alerting them to legal filings by the state’s Attorney General that the “Don’t… More
Clara Mundy | 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize Winner
I hope that readers consider the subtle ways that power can seep into a person’s life and manipulate their self-image: What parts of ourselves did we only feel ashamed… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of August 28
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
Anti-LGBTQ+ Campaigns Lead to Broad Crackdown on Free Expression
A broad attack on LGBTQ+ rights in Lebanon reflects a larger trend of attacks on free expression in the country and the region. More
Unjust Prison Sentence in Algeria Against Scholar and Writer Raouf Farrah and His Father
“This unjust sentence against Raouf Farrah and his father illustrates how far the Algerian government is willing to go to stamp out critical commentary and independent scholarship. By handing… More