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PEN America Decries Another Attempt by Georgia to Deny Entry to Russian Journalist
“The decision to deny Filipp Dzyadko entry to Georgia raises serious questions about Georgia’s space for free media and expression,” said PEN America's Eurasia and Advocacy Director Polina Sadovskaya. More
PEN America Condemns Reported Dismissal of Teacher Who Blew the Whistle and Published Videos of Empty Florida Library Shelves
“Reports that the Governor's commentary may have led to the dismissal of a teacher are shocking,” said Kate Ruane, director of US Free Expression Programs at PEN America. “If… More
Forcibly Expelled, Stripped of Their Citizenship and Deported to the U.S., Nicaraguan Writers and Artists Face “Fear and Uncertainty”
“We are relieved that these individuals are no longer behind bars after being unjustly detained by the Ortega government. However, we are deeply concerned that they were deported against… More
Closure of Exhibit on Diversity and Civil Rights at Florida College, as Some Items Are Deemed “Offensive,” Sends the Wrong Message About Higher Ed and its Values, PEN America Says
(NEW YORK)– PEN America today said objections made over pieces of art in an exhibit at the State College of Florida—that led organizers to cancel it— were “clearly political… More
Arbitrary Arrests of Six Artists and Activists in Cuba Strike at Silencing Dissent and Curtailing Artistic Freedom
“The arbitrary arrests of multiple young members of Cuba’s artistic community are part of a broader systematic effort to silence dissent and to curtail artistic freedom in the island,”… More
Educational Censorship Continues: The 2023 Legislative Sessions So Far
The early returns from the 2023 legislative sessions suggest that lawmakers’ fervor to censor and ban content from educational institutions has not abated. Far from it. More
The Speaking Archive: Words from the House of the Dead
Valentina Flores finds a 1971 anthology by incarcerated writers at Interference Archive, a community-based organization in Brooklyn, New York City. More
What’s Mildred Taylor Got to Do With It?: Race, Prison Book Bans, and the Power in Storytelling
In this essay on prison book bans, Moira Marquis uses "The 1619 Project" to explain how limiting access to Black history and culture is deleterious to people who are… More
Introducing “Unsealed:” Inside the Letters of PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program
Jess Abolafia on the challenges of communication through prison walls via physical, handwritten mail. More
Celebrating Reza Khandan Mahabadi’s Release From Prison in Iran, PEN America Calls for Release of Other Iranian Writers Wrongly Jailed
Reza Khandan Mahabadi is a leading member of the Iranian Writers Association (IWA), prolific author and researcher, who was given a six-year prison term in 2019 and has been… More