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Scorched-Earth
I still dream about those women, you know, but they are faceless. They come to me shrouded, reaching, their hands and fingers searching for mine, wanting to touch my… More
Holi Songs of Demerara
Rajiv Mohabir is the recipient of a 2015 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant for his translation of Lalbihari Sharma’s Holi Songs of Demerara, the only known literary work by one… More
Ancestral Hauntings: On Translating Lalbihari Sharma
These poems and their themes of separation from the beloved inform a very Caribbean poetic: one of struggle and cultural fragmenting. More
Free Expression Digest: Thurs., November 19
Brazilian blogger murdered, Five Moroccan activists face prison, and a journalist in Iran is sentenced to 3 years for Facebook posts. More
Belarusian PEN Center: The Struggle for Writers’ Independence
Introducing our new series showcasing the work of the over 140 centers that form PEN International. This month we speak to the Belarusian PEN Center on free expression challenges… More
Free Expression Digest: Wed., November 18
Iranian journalist sentenced, Encryption debate reignited, and Bangladesh blocks Facebook and other social-media platforms. More
Four Poems by Duriel E. Harris
"Harris's liberatory poetics move between text on the page, visual meanings, and sound meanings. It is in the last category where the poems chosen this month live, where they… More
The PEN Ten with Rachel Eliza Griffiths
"The responsibility of the writer is a hydra-headed practice of witnessing and action. That means accountability—to a greater world and to, especially, my own spiritual ecosystem." More
Free Expression Digest: Tues., November 17
The dangers to national security whistleblowers, Sikh-Canadian journalist wrongly ID'd as terror suspect, and students in Myanmar halt hunger strike. More
Free Expression Digest: Mon., November 16
French music journalist describes escape, Reaffirming the importance of human rights, and Germany announces limits on citizen spying. More